because corruption hath put on incorruption and neither feele the horrour of darknesse nor misse the comforte of the sunne because the presence of eternall and substantiall lighte illighteneth all places My purpose was not vpon so easie an occasion to prooue the resurrection either of Christ which I haue else-where assayed to doe or of his members that belonge vnto him For as it reioyced Paule that hee was to speake before kinge Agrippa vvho had knovvledge of all the customes and questions amongest the Ievves so it is the happier for mee that I speake to those vvho are not vnskilled in the questions of Christianity and neither are Sadducees nor Atheistes nor Epicures to denye the faith of these liuelye mysteries Onelye my meaning vvas vpon the LORDES day whereon hee rose to life and chandged the longe continued sabboth of the Iewes and sanctified a newe day of rest vnto vs to leaue some little comforte amongst you aunswerable to the feast which wee nowe celebrate Surelie the angelicall spirites aboue keepe these paschall solemnities this Easter with greate ioye They wonder at the glorye of that most victorious Lion who hath triumphed over death and hell It doeth them good that the shape of a servaunt is againe returned into the shape of GOD. They never thought to haue seene that starre in the East vvith so fresh and beautifull a hewe which was so lowe declined to the VVest and past hope of gettinge vp VVee also reioyce in the memorye and are most blessed for the benefite and fruite of this daye the sabboth of the newe vvorlde our Passe-over from everlastinge death to life our true Iubilee the first daye of our weeke and chiefe in our kalender to be accounted of whereon our Phoenix rose from his ashes our eagle renevved his bill the first fruites of sleepers avvoke the first begotten of the dead was borne from the wombe of the earth and made a blessed world in that it was able to say The man-childe is brought forth the seede of Abraham which seemed to haue perished vnder the clods fructified not by proportioÌ„s of thirty or sixty or an hundreth but with infinite measure of glory both to himselfe to all those that liue in his root Him we looke for shortly in the cloudes of heaven to raise our bodies of humility out of the dust to fashion them like to his owne to performe his promise to finish faith vpon the earth to perfite our glory and to draw vs vp to himselfe where he raigneth in the heaven of heavens our blessed redeemer and advocate THE XLV LECTVRE Chap. 4 vers 5. And there made him a booth and sate vnder it in the shadowe BEfore the Lorde hath begunne to reprehend Ionas in wordes nowe hee addresseth himselfe to reprooue him also by a sensible signe and because his eares vvere vncapable speaketh vnto his eies and shevveth him a life glasse wherein hee may see himselfe and his blemishes Words are oftentimes received as riddles and precepte vpon precept hath not prevailed when a familiar and actuall demonstration hath done good So Ahâ—iah the Prophet rent the new garment of Ieroboam the king in twelue peeces and bade him reserve ten to himselfe in signe that the kingdome was rent out of the handes of Salomon and ten tribes given to Ieroboam So Esay by going bare-foote teacheth Egypte and AEthiopia that they shall also go into captivity in the like sort Ieremy by wearing yokes about his necke and sending yokes and giues to the kings of Edom Moab Ammon Tyre Sydon Iudah giveth them a visible sacrament and representation of their captivity in Babylon Thus Ezechiell portrayed the siedge of Ierusalem vpon a bricke thus Agabus taketh the girdle of Paule and bindeth himselfe handes and feete and saith so shall the man bee bound that oweth this girdle And thus doth the Lorde admonish Ionas by a reall Apophthegme a liuelie subiection to his eies vvhat it is that hee hath iust cause to dislike in him But before wee come to the very pointe and winding of the matter wherein vvee may see the minde of God there are many Antecedents and preparatiues before hande to be viewed 1. That Ionas goeth out of the citty 2. buildeth him a booth 3. that God provideth him a gourd 4. sendeth a worme to consume it 5. that the sunne and the winde bet vpon the heade of Ionas till hee fainted All this is but the Protasis an onely proposition so farre wee perceiue not whitherto the purpose of God tendeth then followeth the narration the anger of Ionas once againe and once againe Gods increpation first touching the type or image which was the gourd for the gourd standing and flourishing was an image of Niniveh in her prime and prosperity the gourd withered of Niniveh overthowen then touching the truth represented by that figure which was the city it selfe For the meaning of God was to laye open the iniquity of Ionas before his face in that he was angry for the withering of an hearbe and had no pitty in his hearte vpon a mighty and populous citty The order of the words from this present verse to the end of the prophecy is this in this fifth Ionas buildeth for himselfe in the 6. GOD planteth for him in the 7. he destroyeth his planting in the 8. Ionas is vexed and angry to the death in the 9. God reprooveth him in the figure in the 10. and 11. in the trueth by that figure exemplified Of the Antecedentes I haue already tasted two members 1. his goinge out of the cittie to shunne their company who did not so wel like him 2. his sitting on the East-side of the citty either to bee farther from the iudgement of God which was likely to come Westward because Ierusalem stoode that way or to bee out of the trade and thorough-fare of the people which was likeliest to bee at their kaie for the river laye also vpon the West-side or to bee freer from the heate and parching of the sunne vvhich in the morning and towardes the East is lesse fervent or lastly I tolde you to take the comfort and benefite of the sunne rising Now the 3. in the number of those Antecedentes is that hee maketh himselfe a booth Wherein I mighte obserue vnto you that a Prophet is enforced to labour with his handes for the provision of necessaries And surely if it were not worthy the notinge the Apostle woulde never haue said Act. 20. You know that these handes haue ministred vnto my necessities and to those that were with mee 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 these verye handes that breake the breade of the Lord these handes that baptize and that are laide vpon the heades of Gods servauntes these haue ministred vnto my necessities Likeweise the first to the Corinthians and fourth VVee labour vvorking vvith our owne bandes And in his Epistles to the Thessalonians twise hee maketh mention of his labour and travaile day and night But I rather
chambers to be clensed and the vesselles of the house of God to be brought thither againe 3. because the portions of the Levites and singers had not beene giuen to them and everie one was fled to his lande hee reprooued the rulers Why is the house of God forsaken 4. he caused the tithes to be restored brought the Levites togither to their place againe and apointed faithfull officers and treasurers to distribute vnto them The petition that hee maketh vnto the righteous Lord who will not forget our labours at the foote of every of those services is framed to this effect Remember me O my God in goodnesse and wipe not out my kindnesse concerning this and pardon me according to thy great mercies Thus Nehemias you see was not vnmindefull of the Lord that the Lorde might be mindefull of him againe Neither in the building nor in the warding of the wals of Ierusalem nor in releeving the burthens of his brethren nor in sanctifying the sabbath nor in purging the people from commixtion with strangers nor in replenishing the chambers of Gods house vvith maintenaunce for his ministers All which he zealously vndertooke and constantly followed to the end fastening his reproofes like nailes that are driuen in a sure place and shewing himselfe a carefull Magistrate both in warre and peace in civill religious affaires towardes the children of the lande and towardes strangers that traffiqued within the borders thereof Vndoubtedly your charge is greate whome the Lorde hath marked out to places of gouernment and if euer you hope as Nehemias wished that God shall remember you concerning this or that kindenesse shewed in his businesse remember you whose image you carry whose person you present whose cause you vndertake whose iudgmentes you execute vpon earth And though yee are not troubled vvith building and warding the wals of your countrey because peace is the walles and the strength of God our bulwarkes and fortresses and mine eies would faile with expectation of that day vvhen the chambers of the Lordes house vvhich Tobiah the Horonite hath seized into his handes should be restored to their auncient institution for the maintenaunce of Levites and singers yet in the oppressions of your brethren vvhose vineyardes fieldes houses libertie living are wrung from them and their sonnes and daughters vndoone if you doe not in all respects as Nehemias did lend them money corne hee and his servauntes of their owne and bestowe the fees of your places tovvardes their reliefe for hee ate not the breade of the governour in twelue yeares and an hundred and fiftie hee mainetained dailie at his boarde with sufficient allowance yet such as oppresse too much exhort ' reprooue cause them to respight cause them to remit tie them by promise to do it binde them by oath and if that will not serue vnlesse you be loath to throw a stone against an adulterer or to shake your lap against an oppressour because you are guilty in your heartes of the like trespasses shake the lappes of your garments against them and with an vnfeigned spirit beseech the iust iudge that such as will not restore may so be shaken out and emptied from all his mercies Likewise for the sabbath of the Lord the sanctified day of his reste helpe to bringe it to reste it is shamefully troubled and disquieted the common daies in the weeke are happier in their seasons then the Lords sabbaths Then are the manuary craftes exercised every man in his shop applying his honest and lawfull businesse the sabbath is reserved as the vnprofitablest day of the seven for idlenesse sleeping vvalking rioting tipling bowling daunsing and what not I speake what I know vpon a principall sabbath for if the resurrection of Christ deserue to alter the sabboth from day to day I see no cause but the cōming downe of the holy ghost should adde honour and ornament vnto it I say vpon a principall sabbath not onelye those of Ierusalem and Iudah solde their wares but those of Tyre also vvhich came from abroade brought in their commodities and neither your gates shut nor forreiners kept out nor citizens reprooved nor any thing donne wherby Gods name and day might be honoured Go now and aske if you can for blushing as Nehemias did O Lord remember vs concerning this kindnesse It is not enough for you to beare the place of preeminence in the shippe but you must reprooue as the maister here did nor enough barelie to reprooue but you must goe forwardes in hunting securitie from her couche by vrging how hard it is to appease the anger of God if it bee throughly enflamed how dangerous against the life and soule if it be not prevented It is the fervency of the spirite even of a double spirit as Elizeus sometime wished the spirite of magistrates which are more then single persons perfit hatred to sin crushing both the egge the cockatrice courage in the cause of the Lord zeale to his house both kindling and consuming your heartes a good beginning and a good ending which the Lorde requireth Will you saue-gard the ship in the Ocean sea and breake her vvithin a league of the haven will you put your hande to the plough of the best husbandry and thriving in the world and then looke backe vvill you lay the foundation of the house rere vp the vvalles and not seeke to couer it you know the parable This man beganne to builde It had beene better not to haue knowne the way of trueth then not to persist in it nor to haue set your shoulders to the worke of the Lorde vnlesse yee hold out The leafe of a righteous man neuer fadeth vvherevpon the glosse noteth that the fall of the leaues is the dying and decaying of the trees When it repenteth a man to haue begunne well it is a sinnefull repentaunce and much to bee repented of The fire vpon the altar of the Lord must alwaies burne never go out and the sedulitie of Gods lieutenantes vpon the earth must euer bee working neuer wearied All vertues runne in the race one onely receiveth the garland the image of most happy eternitie happy continuance I tolde you before that nature directed the Marriners to the acknowledgement of a God it is heere further ratified with manie other principles of nature if they vvere needefull to bee examined as 1. that God only is to be invocated and called vpon Call vpon thy God 2. the vnity of the godhead is avowed For the shipmaster forgetting the multitude of Gods nameth one singlie without other associates If so be God 3. That the felicity of mankinde dependeth vpon the serenity gracious favorable aspect of God as I gather by the phrase here vsed if God will shine vpon vs. 4. It is implied that our life death are in Gods hands That we perish not But let those passe a while The matter we are now to examine is the liberty and freedome vvhich the shipmaister gaue vnto Ionas
altered his nature to haue boyled him into nourishmente and to haue incorporated his flesh into an other substaunce Yet Ionas liveth But if the LORDE had not beene on my side might Ionas nowe say if the LORDE had not beene on my side vvhen the beast rose vp against mee hee had swallowed mee vp quicke vvhen his vvrath vvas so sore enflamed But praysed bee the LORDE vvhich hath not given mee over a pray to his teeth My saule is escaped even as a birde out of the snare of the fowler The snare is broken and I am delivered Let all those whome the LORDE hath redeemed from the hande of the oppressour from fire or water or from the perill of death take that songue of thankesgiving into their lippes and singe it to his blessed name in remembraunce of his holinesse O thou the hope of all the endes of the earth sayeth that other Psalme and of them that are farre of in the sea shevve vs but the lighte of thy countenaunce and vvee shall bee safe giue vs but the comforte of thy mercies and wee will not feare though the earth bee mooved and the mountaines fall dovvne into the middes of the sea and the sea and the vvaters thereof rage fearefully though Leviathan open his mouth wee will not quake at it yea though the Leviathan of the bottomelesse pit open the throate of hell never so vvide to devoure vs wee vvill not bee disquieted VVee knowe that there is mercy vvith the LORDE and that vvith him there is plentifull redemption I meane redemption a thousande waies by nature and against nature by hope and against hope by thinges that are and thinges that are not Hee that hath saved his people by gathering the vvaters in heapes like vvalles and making a path in the redde sea hee that hath kept his children in the middest of a fiery oven when if arte coulde adde any thinge to the nature of fire they shoulde have beene burnt seven times for one because it was seven times hote and delivered his prophet in a denne of lyons though dieted and prepared for their pray before hand yet shuttinge their mouthes so close and restrayninge their appetite that they forbeare their appointed foode and committed this servaunt of his to the belly of a fishe as if he had committed him to his mothers vvombe to be kept from harme he is the same GOD both in mighte and mercye to preserue vs no time vnseasonable no place vnmeete no daunger vncouth and vnaccustomed to his stronge designementes Our onely helpe therefore standeth in the name of the LORDE that hath made heaven and earth blessed and thrice blessed bee that name of the Lorde from this time forth for evermore Amen THE XXIII LECTVRE Chap. 2. vers 1. Then Ionas praied vnto the Lord his God out of the fishes belly and saide THIS second section or division of the prophecie wherein the mercy of God towardes Ionas is expressed I parted before into three branches 1. That he was devoured 2. praied 3. was delivered The tearmes that Lyra giveth are these the place the manner the successe of his prayer The marvailes that I haue already noted vnto you were 1. that so huge a creature was suddeinely provided by the providence of God 2. that a whole man passed thorough his throate 3. that he lived in his bowels three daies three nightes Now whither he fulfilled that time exactly yea or no three naturall dayes complete consisting of twenty foure howres neither can I affirme neither is it materiall over-busily to examine Our Saviour you know in the gospell applyeth this figure of Ionas to his buriall As Ionas was in the belly of the whale three daies and three nights so shall the sonne of man bee in the heart of the narth But if you conferre the shadowe and the body togither you shall finde in all the evangelistes that the Lorde of life was crucified the 6. howre of the preparation of the sabbath and the ninth gaue vp the ghost that late in the eveninge his bodie vvas taken downe from the crosse and buried that hee rested in the graue the night that belongeth to the sabbath togither vvith the daie and night nexte ensuinge after it and that in the morning of the first day of the weeke he rose againe So as indeede the body of Christ was not in the heart of the earth more than 36. hovvers to weete two nightes and a daie vvhich is but the halfe space of 72. howers Some to supply this defect of time accompte the lighte before the passion of Christ and the darkenesse till the 9. howre one day and a night because they say there vvas both lighte and darknes And then the light that followed from the 9. howre and the succeeding night a secōd day night likewise the third til the time he rose againe Others expoūd it by a mistery thus 36. hours they say to 72. which is the absolute measure of 3. daies 3. nights is but simplum ad duplū one to two or the halfe of the whole Now ours was a double death both in soule by sin in body by paine Christes was but single only in the body because concerning his soule he was free frō sin therfore they infer that the moity of time might suffice him Hugo Cardin. hath an other conceite that from the creation of the worlde till the resurrection of Christ the day was evermore numbred before the night both in the literall and in the mysticall vnderstanding first there was light then darknes but from the resurrection of Christ forwardes the night is first reckoned for which cause he thought the vigiles were apointed for sabbathes other festivall daies that vvee might be prepared with more devotiō to solemnize them herehēce he cōcludeth that the night which followed the sabbath of the Iews was the angular night must twice be repeated as the corner of a square serveth indifferently for either side which it lyeth betwixte for both it belonged saith he to the sabbath praeceding must be ascribed againe vnto the Christian sabbath or Lords day whereon the son of God rose from death And he thinketh there is great reason of his invention because Christ by one night of his tooke away two of ours So they are not content to be sober interpretours of the minde of God but they wil ghesse and divine at that which he never meant They thinke their cunning abased if they go not beyond the moone to fetch an exposition What needeth such curious learning to apoint every egge to the right hen that laid it as some did in Delos so these to think their labor vnprofitable in the church of God vnlesse they can make the devises of their own heads reach home to the letter of the booke in al respects Our soundest divines agree that the triduan rest of Christ in the graue must be vnderstood by the figure synecdoche
debt vvherewith he was oppressed slept quietly and tooke his ease desired to buy the pallet that hee lodged vpon his servants marveâ—ling thereat he gaue them this answere that it seemed vnto him some wonderfull bed and worth the buying whereon a man could sleepe that was so deepely indebted Surely if we consider with our selues the duety and debt vve owe to God and man to our country to our family to homeborne to strangers that is both to Israell and to Niniveh and most especially to those of the houshold of faith that as it was the lawe of God before the law that we shoulde eate our bread in the sweat of our face so it is the law of the gospell also that hee that laboureth not should not eate that the blessed sonne of God ate his bread not onely in the sweate but in the bloud of his browes rather he ate not but it was his meate to doe his fathers will and to finish his worke that even in the state of innocency Adam was put into the garden to dresse it that albeit all labourers are not chosen yet none are chosen but labourers that the figge tree was blasted by the breath of Gods owne lippes with an everlasting curse because it bare but leaues and the axe of heavy displeasure is laide vnto the roote of every tree that is barren of good fruites and if it be once dead in naturall vegetation it shall bee twise deade in spirituall malediction and pluckt vp by the roote It would make vs vow vvith our selues I will not suffer mine eie-liddes to slumber nor the temples of my head to take any rest vntill I haue finished that charge vvhereunto I am appointed Iacobs apologie to Laban may be a mirrour to vs all not to neglect our accountes to a higher maister then ever Laban vvas These twentie yeares haue I beene in thy house I was in the daie consumed with heate and with frost in the night and the sleepe departed from mine eies So industrious vvas Iacob to discharge the dueties of his place and carefull to make his reckoning straight vvith his maister vpon the earth But I speake of an heavier reckoning to an heavier Lord that will aske an account of everie idle worde much more of an idle habite and therefore let them foresee that heate and that frost to come those restlesse eies the hire of their forepassed drowsinesse for daies for nightes for everlasting generations that are ever framing an excuse It is either hotte or cold that I cannot worke there is a Lyon in the streete or a Beare in the way that I dare not goe forth that being called to an office and having their taskes laide forth vnto them say not vvith Samuell at the call of the Lorde Speake Lord thy servant heareth but in a stubborne and perverse veine speake and command Lord and appoint my order wherein I shall vvalke but I neither heare thy voice neither shall my heart goe after thy commaundements I passed by the field of the sloathfull saith Salomon and by the vineyard of the man destitute of vnderstanding and loe it was all growen over with thornes and nettles had covered the face thereof Peruse the rest of that scripture The wise king behelde and considered it well and received instruction by it that a litle sleepe brought a greate deale of poverty and a little slumber a greate deale of necessity And surely as the field of the slouthfull is covered with nettles and thornes so shall his body be overgrowen vvith infirmities his minde vvith vices his conscience shall want a good testimony to it selfe and his soule shal be empty of that hope hereafter which might haue reioiced it I ende this point Ionas his arise and go to Niniveh giueth a warning to vs all for wee haue all a Niniveh to go vnto Magistrates arise and go to the gate to execute Gods iudgementes Ministers arise and go to the gospel to do the workes of Evangelists people arise and go to your trades to eate the labours of your handes eye to thy seeing foote to thy walking Peter to thy nettes Paul to thy tents Marchant to thy shipping Smith to thy anvile Potter to thy wheele vvomen to your whernes and spindles let not your candle go out that your workes may praise you in the gates Your vocations of life are Gods sanctions he ordeined them to mankinde he blesseth them presently at his audite hee will crowne them if when he calleth for an account of your forepassed stewardships you be able to say in the vprightnes of your soule I haue runne my race and as the maister of the house assigned me so by his grace and assistance I haue fulfilled my office But why to Niniveh Niniveh of the Gentiles vncircumcised Niniveh Niniveh of the Assyrians imperious insolent intolerable Niniveh Niniveh swollen with pride and her eies standing out of her heade with fatnesse Niniveh setled vpon her lees not lesse then a thousand three hundred yeares Niniveh infamous for idolatrie with Nisroch her abhomination Niniveh with idlenes so vnnaturallie effeminated and her iointes dissolued vnder Sardanapalus as some conceiue their 38. Monarch who sate and spanne amongst women that as it was the wonder and by-word of the earth so the heavens aboue could not but abhorre it Foure reasons are alleadged why Ionas was sent to Niniveh First God will not smite a citye or towne without warning according to the rule of his owne lawe that no city bee destroyed before peace hath beene offered vnto it The woman of Abell in her wisedome obiected this law vnto Ioab when he had cast vp a mounte against Abel where shee dwelt They spake in olde time and said They should aske of Abell and thus haue they continued that is first they should call a parle and open their griefes before they vsed hostility against it The sword of the Lord assuredly is ever drawne and burnished his bow bent his arrowes prepared his instrumentes of death made ready his cuppe mingled yet hee seldome powreth dovvne his plagues but there is a showre of mercie before them to make his people take heede Pax domui huic peace be vnto this house was sounded to everie doore vvhere the Apostles entered but if that house vvere not vvorthy of peace and benediction it returned backe vnto them Vertues were vvroughte in Chorazin and Bethsaida before the vvoe tooke holde vpon them Noah vvas sent to the olde world Lot to Sodom Moses and Aaron to the Aegyptians Prophets from time to time to the children of Israell Iohn Baptist and Christ and the Apostles togither vvith signes in the host of heauen tokens in the elementes to Ierusalem before it was destroied Chrysostome vpon the first to Timothie giueth the reason hereof that God by threatning plagues sheweth vs howe to avoide plagues and feareth vs with hell before hande that we may learne to eschew it And it was his
dissemble with thee they are a rebellious nation they and their fathers before them vnto this daie children harde of face and stiffe harted Thou shalt say vnto them thus saith the Lorde God but surely they will not heare neither will they cease for they are rebels and thornes and scorpions I haue now vnfoulded the conditions of thy charge If thou findest thy courage sufficient to endure the gain-saying of rebels the pricking and rending of thornes tearinge the eares with contumely and the name of thy maker with blasphemous speech the hissing and stinging of pestilent scorpions then go to the children of Israell if not thou art vnmeete for this busines As if a prophet of our daies should be sent to Constantinople and haue his instruction given him at his setting forth that it is a portlye and insolent city the seate of the greate Turke the hart of the Empire a cage of all vncleanenes an enemy to the name of Christians vvarring continually against the saints a scorner of our crucified Redeemer a worshipper of the false prophet Mahomet vvith other such like colde encouragements feeling his pulses as it were and examining his spirit whether it hath a power to fight with these daungers It was some comfort no doubt amongst the discomfortes to come that our saviour lessonned his Disciples before their goinge abroade Beholde I send you as lambes among Wolues They will deliver you vp to the Councelles and scourge you in their synagogues and you shall bee brought to the governours and Kings for my sake in witnes to them and to the Gentiles In the 16. of Iohn hee plainely professeth his meaning in these kinds of predictions these thinges haue I saide vnto you that yee should not bee offended They shall xcommunicate you yea the time shall come that whosoever killeth you shall thinke that hee doth God service But these thinges haue I told you that when the houre shall come you may remember that I told you of them The foreknowledge of dangers ensuing gaue invincible constancy and resolution to Paul as appeareth in his excellent oration made at Miletum behold I go bounde in the spirit to Ierusalem know not what things shall come vnto mee there saue that the holie Ghost witnesseth in everie citie saying that bandes and afflictions staie for mee Herevpon he composeth his heart to patience and calleth all his forces home to himselfe to resist those afflictions But I passe not at all neither is my life deare vnto me c. And when Agabus at Caesarea had taken the girdle of Paul and bounde his owne hands and feete saying from the mouth of the holy Ghost So shall the Iewes at Ierusalem bind the man that oweth this girdle when his friends would haue held him backe from going to Ierusalem he aunswered boldly and saide what doe ye weeping and breaking mine heart For I am ready not to be bounde onely but also to die at Ierusalem for the name of the Lorde Iesus Peter perswadeth the dispersed saints dwelling here and there to patience in troubles by an argument drawen from the knowledge and experience thereof before had Dearlie beloved saith he thinke it not strange concerning the fierie triall which is amongst you to proue you as though some new thing were come vnto you as if he had saide this fire is auncient and well knowen you haue long seene the smoke thereof and therefore the breaking forth of the flames should not so greatly astonish you His owne practise was not inferiour to his advise For vpon that praesage which his maister gaue in the last of Iohn when thou art olde thou shalt stretch forth thine handes and an other shall girde thee c. hee tooke his occasion to vse more diligence in his calling knowing as himselfe speaketh that the time was at hand whē he must lay downe his tabernacle even as the Lord Iesus Christ had shewed him Thus much on the behalfe of Ionas that if the greatnes of the citie were anie terrour vnto him hee might not complaine that he was taken at vnawares sodainely called and improvidently thrust forth but with alacritie of minde set his shoulder to the vvorke and settle his confidence in the greatnesse of that God from whom he was commaunded It is a direction to vs all whatsoever our service be wherein God shall employ vs whether in Church or in common vvealth vvhether vve sit vpon the thrones of David for execution of iudgment or in the chaire of Moses for exposition of the lavve vvhich are the combersomst charges vpon the earth the very heate and burthen of the day if I may so tearme them not to remit our labours and vvith the sonnes of Ephraim being armed and bearing bowes to turne our backes in the day of battell but though vvee be crossed vvith a thousande afflictions and haue iust cause to crie out as Moses in his government why hast thou vexed thy servant yet to persist and go forward in our paines addressing our soules to contentment and quietnes this was I called vnto I cannot pleade ignorāce neither had I reason to expect lesse travell vexation anguish of spirit were giuen me for my lot and my portion to drinke when I first entered into these affaires 2 Touching the place vvhen vvee heare it commended for a great citie shall vve inferre heerevpon Therefore priviledged to carelesnesse hautinesse oppression wickednesse vvhich are the wormes and mothes for the most part that breede of greatnesse therefore may Niniveh sin with impunity and say I am the Queene of the earth who shall controll me therefore must sinnes set vp a monarchie also in Niniveh must Prophets go to Bethel and prophecie in out-corners because Niniveh is the Kings Court and cannot beare the words of Prophets can the mightines of her state singularity of her government climing of her walles aspiring of her towres multitude of her people make her secure against the vvrath of the Lorde of hostes or can the barres of her gates keepe out his iudgementes Alas vvhat is the greatnes of Niniveh compared with the greatnes of the Lord The landes of Alcibiades in the mappe of the vvhole vvorlde vvere lesse then a center and small title they could not be espied all the islandes of the sea are as a little dust in the sight of the almighty and the nations as the droppe of a wel bucket vvhat is the number and the heigth of thy proude turrets though they hold the earth in awe they cannot threaten heaven and the closer they presse to the seate of God the nearer they lie to his lightning The challenge of God to the selfe same citie is notablie set dovvne in the prophecy of Nahum Art thou better then No which was full of people that lay in the rivers and had the waters rounde about it whose ditch was the sea and her wall was from the sea Aethiopia and Aegypt were her strength and there was no ende
Put and Lubim were her helpers yet was shee carried awaie and vvent into captivitie her young children were broken in pieces at the heade of all the streetes and they cast lots for her noble men and all her mightie men were bounde in chaines The reason holdeth by equality the strength and puissance of No was abased and thy mighte shal be cast downe It was afterward accomplished vpon Niniveh because shee was full of bloud full of lies and robbery a maistres of witchcraftes her multitude vvas slaine and the deade bodies were manie there was no ende of her carkases and they euen stumbled as they went vpon her corpses Mercurius Trismegistus sometime spake to Asclepius of Aegypt after this sort Art thou ignorant O Asclepius that Aegypt is the image of heaven c. And if vvee shall speake more truely our land is the temple of the whole vvorlde and yet the time shall come when Aegypt shall be forsaken and that land which was the seate of the Godhead shal be deprived of religion and left destitute of the presence of the Gods It is written of Tyrus in the three and twentith of Esay that shee was rich with the seede of Nilus that brought her abundance the harvest of the river were her revenewes and shee was a mart of the nations c. Yet the Lord triumpheth and maketh disport at her overthrowe Is this that glorious citie of yours vvhose antiquitie is of auncient daies c who hath decreede this against Tyrus shee that crowned men whose marchants are princes and her chapmen the nobles of the worlde the Lord of hostes hath decreede it to staine the pride of all glory and to bring to contempte all the honorable in the earth It is fallen it is fallen saith the Angell in the Revelation Babilon the great citie having the same title of greatnes that Niniveh hath in this place and is become the habitation of divelles and the hole of all fowle spirites and a cage of every vncleane and hatefull birde though shee had saide in her heart I sit as a Queene I am no widovv and shall see no mourning That everlasting citie of Rome as Ammianus Marcellinus called her shall see the day vvhen the eternity of her name and the immortalitie of her soule vvherewith shee is quickned I meane the supremacie of her prelates aboue Emperours and princes shal be taken from her and as Babilon before mencioned hath left her the inheritaunce of her name so it shall leaue her the inheritaunce of her destruction also and she shal become as other presumptuous cities a dwelling for hedghogs an habitation for owles and vultures thornes shall growe in her palaces and nettles in her strong holdes The lamentations of Ieremie touching the ruine of Ierusalem sometimes the perfection of beauty and the ioy of the whole earth as neare vnto God as the signet vpon his right hand yet afterwardes destroyed as a lodge in a garden that is made but for one night if they can passe by the eares of any man and leaue not lamentation and passion behinde them I will say that his harte is harder then the nether milstone How were her gates sunck to the ground her barres broken the stones of her sanctuary scattered in the corners of every streete her mountaine of Syon so desolate that the very foxes runne vpon it whose strength was such before that the Kinges of the earth and all the inhabitants of the worlde woulde never haue beleeved that the enemy shoulde haue entered into the gates of Ierusalem I now conclude Greatenesse of sinnes will shake the foundations of the greatest cities vpon the earth if their heades stoode amongst the stars iniquitie woulde bring them downe into dust and rubble Multitude of offences vvill minish and consume multitudes of men that although the streets were sowen with the seede of man yet they shal be so scarse that a child may tel them yea the desolation shal be so great that none shall remaine to say to his friend leaue thy fatherlesse children behind thee and I will preserue them aliue and let thy widdowes trust in me The daies can speake and the multitude of yeares can teach vvisdome aske your fathers and they can reporte vnto you that grasse hath growen in the streetes of your cities for want of passengers and a man hath beene as precious as the gold of Ophir as rare almost to bee found as if the grounde of your city had beene the moores and wasts where no man dwelleth One would haue wished a friend more then the treasures of the East to haue kept him company releeved his necessity to haue taken some paines with his vviddowe and Orphanes to haue closed his eies at the time of his death to haue seene him laide forth for buriall and his bones but brought to the graue in peace The arme of the Lorde is not shortned hee that smote you once can smite you the second time hee can visit the sonnes as well as the fathers he is a God both in the mountaines and in the vallies in the former later ages he is able againe to measure the grouÌ„d of your citie with a line of vanity pull downe your houses into the dust of the earth and turne the glory of your dwellings into ploughed feilds onely the feare of his name is your safest refuge righteousnes shal be a stroÌ„ger bulwarke vnto you then if you were walled with bras mercy and iudgment and truth and sobriety and sanctimony of life shall stand with your enemies in the gate repell the vengaÌ„ce of God in the highest streÌ„gth therof And so I come to the 2 generall part wherein we are to consider what Ionas was to doe at Niniveh it is manifested in the wordes following Crâ—e against it Laye not thine hande vpon thy mouth neither drawe in thy breath to thy selfe vvhen the cause of thy maister must bee dealt in Silence can never breake the dead sleepe of Niniveh Softnesse of voice cannot pearce her heavy eares Ordinary speaking hath no proportion with extraordinary transgression Speake and speake to bee heard that when shee heareth of her fall shee may bee wounded with it It was not nowe convenient that Ionas should goe to Niniveh as God came to Elias in a still and softe voyce but rather as a mightie strong winde rending the mountaines and breaking the rockes abasing the highest lookes in Niniveh and tearing the hardest hearte in peeces as an earthquake and fire consuming all her drosse and making her quake with the feare of the iudgementes of God as the trees of the forrest Iericho must bee overthrowne with trumpets and a shout and Niniveh will not yeeld but to a vehement outcry A prophet must arme himselfe I say not with the speare but with the zeale of Phinees when sinne is impudent and cannot blush God cannot endure dallying and trifling in weighty matters The gentle spirit of Eli is not
are all gone out of the way c. When this canker of impiety hath so overspred and eaten into the manners of people then is fulfilled that which Esay puâ—teth dovvne for a sounde position Let mercie bee shewed to the wicked yet hee vvill not learne rigtheousnesse in the lande of vprightenesse will hee doe wickedly and will not beholde the maiesty of the Lorde If neither the mercy nor the maiesty of God nor the company of the righteous can reforme him then is his bettering despaired and past hope I neede no farther examine this part The cause why Ionas cryed against Niniveh vvas the cry of their sinnes their regions vvere vvhite to harvest their iniquities ripe and looked for a sickle from heauen to cutte them dovvne The sufficiencie of vvhich cause to deriue the iudgementes of GOD vpon vs Ieremy layeth downe in his prophecy Manye nations shall passe by the citye meaning of Ierusalem and shall saye everye man to his neighbour vvherefore hath the LORDE done this to this greate citie then shall they answere Because they haue forsaken the covenant of the Lorde their GOD c. For the iudgement of the Lorde pronounced by David shall stande longer then the stars in the firmament Him that loveth iniquitye doth his soule hate Vpon the wicked hee shall raine snares fire and brimstone and stormie tempestes this is the portion of their cuppe And in the first Psalme it is a singular opposition that is made betvveene the iust and the wicked Non sic impij non sic the wicked are not so that thou mayest vnmoueably beleeue how vnmoueably God is bent to deny the wicked his grace hee strengtheneth the negatiue by doubling it Therefore the wicked shall not stand in iudgement for they are fallen before their iudgment commeth What shall they not rise againe Surely yes but not in iudgement saith Ierome for they are already iudged The wickednesse of our land what it is and in what elevation of height vvhether modest or impudent private or publique vvhether it speaketh or cryeth standeth or goeth lyeth like an aspe in her hole or flyeth lyke a fiery serpent into the presence of God your selues bee iudges vvrite my vvordes in tables that they may bee monumentes for latter daies for when your childrens children shall heare them hereafter they will skarselye beeleeue them The moneths of the year haue not yet gone about wherin the Lorde hath bowed the heavens and come downe amongst vs with more tokens and earnests of his wrath intended then the agedst man of our lande is able to recount of so small a time For say if ever the windes since they blew one against the other haue beene more common and more tempestuous as if the foure ends of heaven had conspired to turne the foundations of the earth vpside downe thunders and lightnings neither seasonable for the time and withall most terrible with such effectes brought forth that the childe vnborne shall speake of it The anger of the clouds hath beene powred downe vpon our heades both with abundance and saving to those that felt it vvith incredible violence the aire threatned our miseries with a blazing starre the pillers of the earth tottered in many vvhole countries and tractes of our Ilande the arrowes of a woefull pestilence haue beene caste abroade at large in all the quarters of our realme even to the emptying and dispeopling of some partes thereof treasons against our Queene and countrey wee haue knovvne many and mighty monstrous to bee imagined from a number of Lyons whelpes lurking in their dennes and vvatching their houre to vndoe vs our expectation and comfort so fayled vs in Fraunce as if our right armes had beene pulled from our shoulders VVee haue not altered the colour of the hayre of our heades nor added one inch to our stature since all these thinges haue beene accomplished amongst vs. Consider then vvell and thinke it the highest time to forsake your highest wickednes I call it highest wickednes for if wee knew how to adde any thing in our severall veines and dispositions to those idols of sinne which we serue some to our covetousnesse some to our pride some to our vnchastnes some to our malice and such like wee would breake our sleepe nay we would compasse sea and lande to encrease it Yet howsoever it fareth with the multitude let there bee a seede and remnaunt among vs left to entreate for peace Ten righteous persons would haue saved Sodom it may so stand with the goodnes of God that a few innocent fooles shall preserue the island as Iob speaketh Let vs thankfully embrace the long sufferance of our God forepast leading vs as by a hande of friendship to repentance and let vs redeeme with newnesse of life our dayes and yeares formerly mispent least by impenitent transgressing against the law of our maker we fall vpon his sentence of wrath irrevocably past and resolved by him I haue thought it and will not repent neither will I turne backe from it THE THIRD LECTVRE Chap. 1. ver 3. But Ionas arose vp to flie vnto Tharsish from the presence of the Lord and he went downe to Iapho c. THe commission given to Ionas we haue already weighed it followeth that wee handle his recusancy disobedience therein coÌ„mitted This verse now in haÌ„d delivereth the whole body therof with every member belonging vnto it 1. his preparatioÌ„ is set downe in that he arose 2. his speede to fly 3. the end and period of his iourney to Tharsis 4. his end and purpose why to Tharsis to escape the preseÌ„ce of the Lord. 5. the opportunities helpes and furtherances to his travel are exactly put downe 1. he went downe to Iapho an haven-towne 2. hee found a ship going to Tharsis 3. he paid the fare thereof 4. he went downe into it 5. lastly his reason of flying to Tharsis is againe specified with a regression in the end of the verse that he might goe from the presence of the Lord. A notable patterne of mans disposition 1. the Lord biddeth him arise he ariseth who if he had sitten still till his flesh had cloveÌ„ to the pauement or if he had streched himselfe vpon his bed and folded his armes to sleepe he had done a service more acceptable to God 2. he is bidden to go but not coÌ„tent with going he doth more theÌ„ so hee flieth hee hath the feete of an hinde and the wings of a doue to do that hee should not who had reapt more thankes if he had crept but like a snaile in his right course 3. He is bidden to go to Niniveh he goeth to Iapho and Tharsis he is not idle but he doth ill he doth that which he was not charged with like one of those Lords in Ieremy who told God to his face we are Lords we wil no more come at thee so doth he flatly crosse overthwart that directioÌ„ which God had set
him 4. He heareth of a great city of a wearisome peraÌ„bulation asking the travell of 3. whole daies but he saveth the labor of his feete goeth into a litle vessel travelleth by sea a far easier iourney 5. He is bidden to cry but he is so far from making any noise that al the clamour and noise of the marriners could not awake him stir him vp 6. He heareth that the wickednesse of Niniveh is come vp before the presence of the Lorde notwithstanding hee feareth not to mocke and abuse the presence of the same Lord neither despaireth he to avoide it There is nothing in all these but stubbornes and rebellion which is as kindly to man as the flesh and bones that he beareth about him Amongst the other plants in the garden of EdeÌ„ not far froÌ„ the goodliest trees of life knowledge grew the bitter roote of disobedience which our forfathers no sooner had tasted but it infected their bloud and the corrupt nutriment thereof converted it selfe into the whole body of their succeding linage The breasts of Eue gaue no other milke then perversnesse to her children and Adam left it for a patrimony and inheritance vnto all his posterity Though God had precisely said Of the tree of knowledge of good and evill thou shalt not eate for in the daye that tâ—ou eatest thereof thou shalt die the death though there were no comparison betweene their maker and a murtherer froÌ„ the beginning the father of truth and the father of lies a God and a divell and the one had forbidden but one tree and fenced it as it were with a double hedge of a two-fold death yet when the serpeÌ„t came to the woman with a meere contradiction to the voice of God yee shall not die the death how credulous and forwarde was shee to entertaine his suggestion Moses proved to the children of Israel in the 9. of Deuteronomy by a perfect induction that there was nothing but rebellion in them Remember and forget not saith he how thou provokedst the Lord thy God to anger in the wildernesse also in Horeb afterwardes in Taberah and in Massah and at the graues of lust likewise when the Lord sent you from Cadesh Barnea c. At length hee concludeth yee yaue beene rebellious vnto the Lorde since the day that I knevve you And God pronounceth of the same people in the fourth of Num. that though they had seene his glory and the miracles which he did in Aegypt and in the wildernesse yet they had tempted him ten times and had not obeyed his voice In the 17. of the same booke the Lord gaue commaÌ„demeÌ„t vnto Moses that Aarons rod which budded for the house of Levi when the other rods budded not should be kept in the arke for a monumeÌ„t of their murmurings rebellions forepassed To forbeare infinite other testimonies the whole world may bee the arke to keepe the monumentes of their and our disobedience it is so common to vs both when we are willed to aske for the old way which is the good way to answere wee will not walke therein when the watchmen cry vnto vs take heede to the sounde of the trumpet to answere wee will not take heede when wisedome crieth abroade and vttereth her voice in the streetes O yee foolish how long will yee learne foolishnesse c. to despise her counsell and to make a Skorne of her correction What worke of our handes bewrayeth not this malice vvhat word of our mouthes speaketh not perverse thinges almost what thought of our heartes kicketh not against the prickes of Gods sacred commaundementes and desperatelye adventureth her selfe vpon the point of his sharpe curse O that our waies were made so direct that wee might keepe his statutes then shoulde wee never bee confounded whilst wee had respect vnto all his commaundementes It is a question made by some though I make no question of it vvhether this detraction and refusall of Ionas vvere a faulte yea or no Dionysius Carthusianus vpon this place doeth partly excuse it I thinke it farre from excuse fot doubtlesse the voice of GOD is the first ruâ—e and rudimentes of all Christian instruction the first stone to bee laide in the whole building that cloud by day that piller of fire by night vvhereby all our actions are to bee guided Paule in his marveilous conversion desired no other lighte and load-starre to bee governed by but the vvill and vvorde of his Saviour Lorde what wilt thou haue mee doe The verie Prophet of Moab vvoulde not departe from this standarde for vvhen Balaac by his messengers sent him worde that hee woulde promote him and God did but keepe him backe from honour hee made this answere vnto him If Balaac woulde giue mee this house full of silver and golde I cannot passe the commaundement of the LORD to doe either good or badde of mine owne minde what the Lorde shall commaunde that same will I speake Hee had saide before to the king in person Loe i am come vnto thee and can I nowe saye anye thinge at all the worde that GOD putteth in my mouth that shall I speake The vvordes of Samuel to Saule determine the doubt and make it as plaine as the light at noone day that the fact of Ionas here committed was an vnexcusable offence Beholde saith hee to obey is better then sacrifice and to harken is better then the fat of rammes For rebellion is as the sinne of witchcraft and transgression is wickednes and idolatrie It followeth in the next wordes Because thou hast cast away the worde of the Lord therefore he hath cast away thee from being King You heare the nature of these two contraries Obedience and Disobedience kindly disciphered the one to be better then sacrifice for he that offereth a sacrifice offereth the flesh of a beast but he that obeyeth offereth his owne will as a quicke and a reasonable sacrifice which is all in all the other to be as witchcraft and idolatrie for what is disobedience but when the Lord hath imposed some duety vpon vs wee conferre with our owne hearts as Saul consulted with the woman of Endor or Ahaziah Kinge of Samaria with the God of Eckron Belzebub whether the word of the Lord shal be harkened to yea or no Thus we set vp an idol within our own breasts against the God of heaveÌ„ forsaking his testimonies we follow the voice and perswasion of our owne devises Bernard alluding to this place before recited writeth thus The children of disobedience make their will their Idoll Hee addeth for further explication that it is one thing not to obey an other thing to purpose and prepense disobedience Neither is it the simple transgression of Gods commandement but the proud wilfull contempt of his will which is reputed the sin of idolatry And surely I see no reason they haue to conceale the infirmity of Ionas herein when Ionas himselfe if I mistake not the meaning
they stand before their face attending their pleasure and ready to receiue and execute their imposed hests You haue the phrase in the first of Iob On a day when the children of God came and stoode before the Lorde Satan came also and stoode amongst them And Psal. 123. Beholde as the eyes of servantes looke vnto the handes of their maisters and as the eyes of a mayden vnto the handes of her mistresse So our eyes waite vpon the LORDE our GOD vntill hee haue mercy vpon vs. In the 18. of Mathew our Saviour adviseth his disciples not to despise one of those little ones the reason is this For I say vnto you that in heaven there Angelles alwaies beholde the face of my father which is in heaven The like manner of speech did Elizaeus vse to Naaman the Syriā when he offered him a reward As the Lord liveth before whome I stande a witnes to my actiōs the searcher of my hart whose honor service I tender more then my game I will not receiue it By these may we see what the phrase intendeth of fleeing from the presence of the Lord. It letteth vs vnderstand that Ionas as a fugitiue and refractary servant ranne from the Lord as Onesimus from his maister Philemō breaking his bonds of duty and making no conscience or care to do service vnto him Some haue presumed by coniecture vpon his goinge to Tharsis and fleeing from the face of the Lorde that not onely he reneged his obedience in this particular action but changed the vvhole trade of his life and leaving the office of a Prophet became a Marchante adventurer A worldly dangerous profession not only for the hazard of life and for vvracke of goods but for vvracke of conscience also which is the worst shipwracke which wrackes notwithstandinge are taken not onely in your ships abroad but in your shoppes and warehouses at home when you fall either vpon the Syrtes and quickesandes of lying which is a present and quicke kinde of sinne allwaies at the tongues end or vpon the rockes of periury which is a more obstinate and indurate transgression I wil not be so strict in this point as Chrysostome was who councelled Christiās to avoide marketting that neither they suffered nor offered guilefull dealing I know they are lawfull and profitable callinges in common vvealth if lawfully handled The state of the worlde cannot stand without buying selling traffique transportation Non omnis fert omnia tellus No country yeeldeth all kind of commodity There must be a path frō Aegypt to Assur and from Assur to Aegypt againe to make a mutuall supplye of their severall wants Mesech the king of Moab was a Lord of sheepe Hiram had store of timber and vvorkemen Ophir vvas famous for golde Chittim for yvorie Basan for oakes Lebanon for cedars Saba for frankincense c. But this I must tell you that liue vpon buying and selling you vvalke vpon coales and cary fire in your bosomes gaine is a busie tentation and there is neither stone nor Ephah measure nor ballaunce you vse but Satan is at hande to doe some office It is naught it is naught saith the buyer in the tvventith of the Proverbes and when hee is gone aparte hee boasteth Now on the other side It is good and very good saith that seller and when hee hath solde his wares hee boasteth indeede because hee hath given drosse for silver and water for wine Esay 1. I say no more but take heede that the treasures of wickednesse be not found in your houses neither a scante measure which is an abhomination vnto the Lord. Shall I iustify saith God the wicked balances and the bag of deceitfull weightes His meaning is that they shall never be iustified much lesse a wicked and deceitfull conscience I will not enforce this collection vpon you because is is not plainely expressed in the text and without such forraine and vnnecessary helps if I may so tearme them the bare letter of the words doth notoriously evict the disobedience of Ionas wherin he was so fixed and confirmed that neither respite of time neither danger of voiage nor expence of money coulde change his purpose Examine the particulars 1. He goeth downe to Iapho or Ioppe Iaffa at this day a city of Palestine an haven towne and rode for shipping it spent some travell and time no doubt before he came to Iapho 2. He findeth a ship going to Tharsis I am sure he was not presently acquainted with the keye neither did hee find that ship without some enquirie 3. He paieth the fare what incontinently it is not vnlikely but they staide one tide at the least 4. And it standeth with the order of the text that he paide the fare aforehand and in hast before he needed 5 Some of the Rabbines adde that he paide the fare of the whole ship for the rest of the passengers that were bound for Tharsis 6. Lastly when he had paid hee goeth downe into the ship not remembering the daunger hee entered into to put his life within 4. inches of death and what safety it is in comparison to see the raging of the waters form the sea banckes Is vvas one of the three thinges that Cato repented travel by sea vvhen by lande he might haue gone and a charge that antigonus gaue his sonnes when they were tossed with a tempest Remember my sonnes and warne your posteritye of it that they never hazard themselues vpon such adventures What needed the recitall of these particular and one vvoulde thinke trifling circumstances as that hee went to the haven founde a shippe paide the fare descended into it vvhich might haue beene spoken at once Hee went to Tharsis But to expresse thus much that though there were many occurrences that met and stopt him in the vvaie of disobedience as the Angell met Balaam manye messengers as it were sent from God to call him backe againe manie spaces of ground manie interruptions of time manie occasions of better advise and consultation yet as Agrippa came into the world with his heeles forward so Ionas holdeth on his vntoward course whether his feete woulde beare him having little reason and lesse grace to direct him The summe of all that hath beene spoken hitherto for I vvill leaue a remnant behinde at the least to make a connexion betweene this and the next sentence is stronge and incredible disobedience I say not conceived alone but brought forth perfited persisted in without remorse not against father mother magistrate any superiour but against God himselfe not in the taile of the people to vse the wordes of a Prophet but in the cheifest and honourablest part The complaint of God is now revived againe who so blinde as my servant or so deafe as hee whome I haue sent Ionas a servant in the highest roome a vessell of the greatest honour in the greate house a Prophet one of a principall spirit and as their vsuall name was for vnvsuall
great wind c. Behold a pursivant dispatched from heaven to attach him vengeance is shipped in a whirle-wind and saileth alofte in the aire to overtake him There is no counsaile as Ierome here noteth against the Lord. In a calme commeth a tempest the ship is endangered which harboureth a daungerfull passenger there is nothing peaceable where the Lord is an enemy Whome the voice of the Lord could not moue a storme solliciteth him as when Absolom could not drawe Ioab vnto him by entreatie and faire meanes he fiâ—eth his barley fieldes to make him come and whome a still spirit could not charme the turbulent spirit of a raging wind Severior Magister a rougher instructour to deale withal enforceth to harkeÌ„ There be spirits saith the son of Syrach that are created for vengeance which in their rigour lay on sure strokes In the time of destruction they shew forth their power and accomplish the wrath of him that made them Fire and haile and famine and death all these are created for vengeance the teeth of wild beasts and the scorpions the serpents and the sword execute iudgement for the destruction of the wicked Nay the principall things for the whole vse of mans life as water fire and iron and salt and meale wheat and hony and milke and the bloud of the grape oile clothing all these thinges are for good to the godly but to the sinners they are turned to evill To these you may adde the wind which being a meteor wherby we liue in some sort for our life is a breath a fanne in the hands of God to purge the aire that it be not corrupted as the lunges lie by the heart to doe it good is heere converted to bee a plague vnto them that as David was afflicted by the sonne of his owne bowelles who should haue beene the staffe of his age Sampson by the wife of his bosome who should haue bene his helper the children of Israell by Manna stinking and full of wormes and by quailes comming out of their nostrelles and the children of the prophets by a bitter hearbe in the pottage which were appointed for their sustenance and foode so these marriners for the sinne of Ionas are scourged with a winde a principall furtherance and benefit at other times required to sailing Obedience hath her praise both with God and men the of-spring of the righteous is obedience loue The Rechabites shall never want a testimony of their obedience vnles the booke of Ieremy the Prophet be againe cut with a penknife burnt vpon an hearth as in the daies of Zedekias Ionadab their father commaunded them to drinke no wine and they would not drinke it for that commaundement sake they nor their wiues their sonnes nor their daughters Christ prophecieth of himselfe Esay 50. The Lord hath opened mine eare and it was not rebellious neither turned I backe It was written of him in the booke that he should doe the will of his father he was ready to do it The law was in the midst of his bowels and without protracting the time he offered himselfe Loe I come He was obedieÌ„t vnto death even the death of the crosse And though he were the sonne yet learned he obedience by the things he suffered qui ne perderet obedientiam perdidit vitam though he slept a wofull and heavy sleepe to flesh and bloud yet he slept in peace Disobedience on the other side hath never escaped the hands of almighty God It cast Ionas out of the ship and the angels before Ionas out of heaven Adam and Eue out of paradise Lots wife out of her life and nature to Saule out of his kingdome the children of Israell out of their natiue soile and further their naturall roote that bare them For no other reason is given but this Ieremy 35. I spake they would not heare I cried they would not answer To leaue forraine exaÌ„ples the iustice of God now presently manifesting it selfe against disobedience coÌ„meth in a storme the vehemency and fury whereof appeareth 1. By the author God sent it Who although he be the author of all windes weathers and bringeth them out of his treasures yet when it is singularly noted of God that he was the cause it carrieth a likelyhood not of his general providence alone but of some speciall and extraordinary purpose 2. By the instrument which is a winde and neither thunders nor raines to helpe it 3. By the epithet appositioÌ„ of the instrument a great winde 4. By the nature of the word here vsed it was sent nay rather throwne sent headloÌ„g as the lightning is shot from heaveÌ„ It was cast froÌ„ God as the marriners cast their ladings into the sea for the same word is originally vsed in both places A wind so sodain furious that they could gesse at other teÌ„pests before they fel they had no signes wherby to prognosticate this 5. By the place that receiveth it the sea a champian plaine channel an open flore where there was neither hill nor forrest nor any other impediment to breake the force of it 6. By the explication added there was a tempest vpon it eveÌ„ a mightie tempest 7. By the effects that ensued in 4. 5. verses marveilouslie described 1. The breaking of the ship a stroÌ„g an able ship by coÌ„iecture because so lately set forth to sea the danger is the more to be considered that it fel not vpon rockes or shelues but by the power of the onely winde was almost splitted the Hebrew phrase is very significant the ship thought to be broken as if it had soule and sense to feele the hazard it was in 2 The feare that followed vpon the whole companye of the passengers 3 The feare of the marriners men accustomed inured to the like adventures of whome it is truely spoken â—llis robur aes triplex c. their harts are of brasse and oke to encounter dangers 4 Their praiers nay their vociferations outcries vpon their Gods as the priests of Baal cried vpon their idoll 5 The casting out of their ladings the necessary instruments vtensiles for their intended voiage Al which whatsoever besides is set down to the end of the 5. ver may be reduced to 3. persons with their actions administratioÌ„s belonging vnto them the 1. is the Lord the 2. the marriners the 3. Ionas Of the first it is said that he sent out a great winde It was the error of the Paynims to devide the world amongst sundry Gods with every severall region city family almost chamber chimney therin with heaven hell land sea woodes rivers wine corne fruits of the ground al things whatsoever AmoÌ„gst the rest the winds in the aire they ascribed to Aeolus whoÌ„e they imagined to haue them closely mued vp housed in a lodge and to haue sent theÌ„ abroad either for calmes or teÌ„pests
the martyrings of Iob for the other for though the circuit of Sathan be very large even to the coÌ„passing of the whole earth to fro yet he hath his daies assigned him to staÌ„d before the presence of the Lord for the renewing of his commission And besides Oviculam vnam auferre non potuit c. he could not take one poore sheepe from Iob till the Lorde had given him leaue put forth thine hande nor enter into the heard of swine Mat. 8. without Christs permission And so to conclude whether men or devilles be ministerial workers in these actions all coÌ„meth from him as from the higher supreme cause whose iudgments executed thereby no man can either fully comprehend or reprehend iustly God professeth no lesse of himselfe Esay 45. I forme the light and create darkenesse I make peace and create evill I the Lord do all these thinges And in the 54. of the same prophecie Beholde I haue created the smith that â—loweth the coales in the fire and him that bringeth foâ—th an instrument for his worke I haue created the destroyer to destroy destruction commeth from the instrument the instrument from the smith the smith and all from God In the 10 of the same booke Asshur is called the rod of his wrath and the staffe in his hands was the Lords indignation And the prophet praieth in the 17. Psalme to the same effect vp Lord disapoint him cast him downe deliver my soule from the wicked which is a sword of thine We neede not farther instructioÌ„s in this point but whatsoever it is that outwardly troubleth vs let vs larne to feare him therin froÌ„ whose secret disposition it procedeth who hath a voice to alay the winds the seas a finger to confound sorcerers coÌ„iurers an hooke for the nostrels of Senacharib a chain for the divell himselfe the prince of darkenes In the 2. person which were the marriners we are directed by the hand of the scripture to consider three effects which the horrour of the tempest wrought vpon them For 1. they were afraid 2. they cried vp on their Gods 3. they cast out their wares the 1. an affection of nature the 2. an action of religion the 3. a worke of necessity Some of the Rabbines held that the marriners in this ship had more cause to be astonished and perplexed then all that travailed in these seas besides for when other ships were safe and had a prosperous voiage theirs only as the marke wherat the vengance of God aimed was endaungered But because it appeareth not in the booke I let this passe with many other vnwritteÌ„ collections as namely that they were nere the shore laboured with all their force to tough their ships to land but could not do it which happily may be true and as likely otherwise therfore I leaue it indiffereÌ„t am conteÌ„t to see no more theÌ„ the eie of my text hath descried for me But this I am sure of Affliction beginneth to schoole theÌ„ driue theÌ„ to a better haven then they erst found It evet worketh good for the most part and although the better sort of men are corrected by loue yet the greater are directed by feare As the wind the seas so the feare of the wrath of God in this imminent danger of shipwrack appearing shaketh perturbeth their heartes though they had hardened them by vse against all casualties by sea like the hardest adamantes All the works of the Lord to a coÌ„siderate mind are very wonderful his mercy reacheth to the heavens and his faithfulnes is aboue the cloudes his wisdome goeth from end to end his righteousnes is as the highest mountaines his iudgmentes like a great deepe whatsoever proceedeth from him because that artificer excelleth is must needes be excellent But it is as true a position perseverantia consuetudinis amisit admirationeÌ„ the assiduity continuance of things bringeth theÌ„ into coÌ„tempt QuaÌ„ multa vsitata calcaÌ„ tur quae coÌ„siderata stupeÌ„tur how many things doth custome make vile which consideratioÌ„ would make admirable because the nature of maÌ„ is such to be carried away rather with new theÌ„ with great things The creatioÌ„ of man who maketh accompt of because it is coÌ„mon But would we ponder in our harts as David did that we are wonderfully fearfully made that our bones were not hid from the Lord though they were shaped in a secret place and fashioned beneath in the earth that he possessed our raines in our generation covered vs in our mothers wombes that his eies did see vs when we were yet vnperfect all things were written in his booke when before they were not it would enforce vs to giue acclamation to the workemanship of our maker as the sweet singer of Israell there did marveilous are thy workes o Lord that my soule knoweth right well A tempest to marriners is nothing because they haue seene and felt and overlived so many tempestes As David because he had killed a lion and a beare at his folde perswaded himselfe that he also could kill Golias So these having past already so many dreadefull occurrents begin to entertaine a credulous perswasion of security no evill shall approach vs. They make their harts as fat as brawne to withstand mishaps It fareth with theÌ„ as with souldiers beaten to the field they haue seene hundreds fall at their right hand and thousands at their left and therefore are not moved and though they beare their liues in their hands they feare not death wherevpon grew that iudgmeÌ„t of the world vpon them Armatis divum nullus pudor souldiers the greater part feare not God himselfe Vndoubtedly our sea-men drinke downe digest their dangers with as much facility felicity to as some their wine in bowles yet notwithstaÌ„ding the marriners here spokeÌ„ of even the maister of the ship with the vulgar sort having such iron sinews in their brests giaÌ„ts by sea and if I may tearme them so 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 men that fight with God being in their proper element the region and grounde where their arte lieth having fought with the waues and windes a thousand times before they are all striken with feare and their heartes fall asunder within them like drops of water David Psal. 107. setteth downe foure kindes of men vvhich are most indebted to God for deliveraunce from perilles the first of those that haue escaped a dearth the second prisoners enlarged the third such as are freed from a mortall sicknes the last sea-faring men of whome hee writeth thus They that go downe into the sea in shippes and occupie their marchandize by greate waters they see the worke of the Lorde and his wonders in the deepe For hee commaundeth and raiseth vp the stormie winde and it lifteth vp the waues thereof they mount vp to the heaven and descende againe to the deepe so that their soule melteth for trouble They are tossed too and
fro and stagger like a drunken man and all their cunning is gone A liuely image of their vncertaine and variable liues and if you hearken to the comparison it is next to famine imprisonment a deadly disease to be a sea-man Sailers adventurors are neither amongst the living nor amongst the dead they hang betweene both readie to offer vp their soules to every flawe of winde and billow of water where with they are assaulted Yet these are the men and such the instrumentes and meanes whereby your wealth commeth in that liue by Marchandize you eate and drinke and vveare vpon your backes you traffique and spend the bloude of your sonnes and servantes So David called the water of the well of Bethlehem bloud because it vvas brought through the armie of the Philistines vvith the hazard of mens liues You owe much vnto God for the preservation of their liues your shippes and commodities are bounde to rehearse vnto your soules day and night that verse of thankesgiving which David repeateth in the Psalme before named as the burthen and amoebâ—um to those songes of deliverance Let vs therefore confesse before the Lord his loving kindnesse and his wonderfull workes before the sons of men let vs exalt him in the congregation of the people and praise him in the assembly of the elders And as you feare his maiesty your selues who turneth the flouds into a wildernes and a wildernes into springes of water who breaketh the shippes of the sea with an East-wind so see that your factors beyond the seas with all the officers and ministers belonging to your company bee men of the like affection It is not the tallenes of your shippes nor their swiftnesse manning and munition that can protect them against Gods vengeance You call them Lyons Leopards Beares and skorning the names of beasts you tearme theÌ„ Angelles Archangelles but remember when all is done that as Themistocles called the Navy of Athens wooddeÌ„ walles so yours are but woodden Beasts and woodden Angelles And woe be to him that saith to a stone thou art my father and to a peece of wood thou art my helper They haue good fortune written vpon their beakes saith Plutarke but many misfortunes in the successe of their labors Horace spake to as prowd a ship it should seeme as any those times knew Though Pontus pines thy frame A forrest faire thy dame Prowde be thy stocke And worthlesse name The windes will mocke To see thy shame Take heede The navy of Tyrus if the prophet describe it aright was the noblest navie that ever the seas vvere furrowed vvith the builders thereof made it of perfect beautie the boordes of the firre trers of Shenir the mastes of the cedars of Lebanon the oares of the Okes of Basan the bankes of the yvory of Chittim the sailes of the fine embrodered linnen of AEgypt the coveringes blew silke and purple of the Iles of Elisha They of Sidon and Arvad were her marriners the wisest in Tyre her pilottes the auncients of Gebal her calkers they of Persia and Lud and Phut her souldiours the Gammadins were in her towers and hung their shieldes vpon the walles round about and the King of Tyre saide in the hautines of his heart I am a God I sit in the seate of God in the midst of the sea yet see the ende in the same place her rowers brought her into greate waters and the east-winde brake her in the midst of the sea her riches together with marriners pilottes and calkers marchantes and men of warre all were overthrowen and came to a fearefull ruine The feare of the Lorde will be in steede of all these provisions feare him and both floudes and rockes shall feare you and all windes shall blow you happines and ship-wrackes shall avoide the place where your foote treadeth and as the apples of Gods owne eies so shall they reverence you and not dare to approch the channell where your way lieth hilles shall fall downe and mountaines shal be cast into the sea but those that feare the Lord shall never miscary the feare of the Lord shall both laÌ„d your ships in an happy haven and after your travels vpon the earth harbour your soules in his everlasting kingdome They were afraid I will not examine what kinde of feare it vvas vvhich surprised these marriners There is a feare that accompanieth the nature of man and the son of God himselfe was not free from it Marc. 14. It is written of him that he began to be afraid which feare of his and other the like vnpleasant affections he tooke vpon him our Divines say as he tooke our flesh vndertooke death rather in pitty then of necessity And Ierome vpon the place of the Evangelist before cited noteth that the feare of our blessed saviour was not a passion which overbare his mind but a propassion which he seemeth to collect from the word it selfe He began to be afraid 2 There is besides a fond and superstitious feare when men are afraid of their shadowes as Pisander was afraide of meeting his owne soule and Antenor would never go forth of the doores but either in a coach closed vpon al sides or with a target borne over his head fearing I gesse least the sky should fal down vpon it according to that in the Psalme They feare where no feare is The disciples were abasht at the sight of their maister after his resurrection supposing they had seene a spirite when neither had they seene a spirite at any time to moue that conceit neither is it possible that a spirituall substance caÌ„ sensibly be perceived We may easily acquite this coÌ„pany from such foolish feare it hath so apparant a reason to be grounded vpon 3 There is an other feare the obiect wherof is only God which by the praier and cry that followeth in the next wordes seemeth to be the feare meant though ignorantly misplaced and this in some is a servile feare ful of hatred malice contumely reproch if they durst bewray it tristis invtilis crudelis qui quia veniaÌ„ non quaerit noÌ„ consequitur saith Bernard it flieth abhorreth the Lord because he is Deus percutiens a God of vengance in other it is filiall such as the childe honoureth his father with perfitly good wherein there is nothing but loue reverence puritie ingenuitie borne of a free spirite the spirite of bondage slavery wholy abandoned so near in affinity to loue that you can hardly discerne them Pene illa est pene non est It is almost loue and almost not loue so little difference is it never beholdeth God but in the gracious light of his countenance There is mercy with thee O Lord therefore shalt thou be feared howsoever the cloudes of displeasure seeme sometimes to hide that grace away The feare of these men I cannot decide whether it were mixte with hope or altogether desperate and it skilleth not greately to
hart for his endlesse miseriâ—s the eies labouring for teares which shall ever run downe and the teeth grinding one the other without ceasing THE SEVENTH LECTVRE Chap. 1 vers 6. Arise call vpon thy God c. BEfore I haue shewed and coÌ„mended the diligence of the ship-master and prooved that there must be some power and superiority to restraine inferiours by feare to reprooue sleepers and all kindes of offenders The praise of this governour farther appeareth that he doth not only reprehend Ionas what meanest thou sleeper but vrgeth and prosecuteth him Arise and instructeth him what he ought to do Call vpon thy God and openeth the vncertainty and hazard wherinto they were falleÌ„ If so be that God will thinke of vs that the imminent daÌ„ger toucheth not their goods alone but their liues also as appeareth by the end of his speech That we perish not Thus he is not coÌ„tent to pul him as it were by the eare with checking him but he shaketh him by the arme to to set him on his feete hee entreth into his coÌ„scieÌ„ce with wise and godly advise pricketh the inwardest veine of his heart with commemoration of their danger if God stay it not He hath laid his hand vpon a plough his eie goeth not from it he sticketh not in the beginnings of his calling but groweth onward by degrees till hee commeth to the full stature of a good magistrate Giue mee a shepheard thus zealous of his flocke and I will say he is better then seven other shepheards a man of principallity so careful of this duty more then eight principall men that neglect theirs It vvas not enough for Eli you knowe to chide his sonnes why doe you such thinges for of all this people I heare evill reports of you Do no more so It is not a good report that I heare of you because he did no more but so and proceeded not in the chastisement and reformation of them God chargeth him in plaine tearmes that hee honored his children aboue him and threatneth to cut of his arme and the arme of his fathers house Afterwardes hee telleth Samuell that hee will doe a thing in Israell that whosoever hearde of his two eares should tingle Hee would iudge the house of Eli for ever because his sonnes ranne into slander and hee stayed them not And the wickednesse of his house should not bee purged with sacrifice and with offering whiles the world stoode And if you harken for the sequel of all this his two sonnes Hophni and Phinees died both in one day and himselfe receiving a tydinges worse then death brake his necke All this vvee heare of fathers and maisters and magistrates and ministers and yet our eares tingle not we suffer our sonnes our servantes our people our â—â—ocks to runne into slander themselues to redouble that slaunder vpon our ovvne heades to multiplie it against God his gospell his church and we stay them not The rest of our tongues within their walles and wardes and the rust of the sword within the skabbard the admonition of the one winking with both the eies and the correction of the other fast a sleepe shew how vnworthy we are to be trusted in our places and how vnlike the maister of the shippe heere spoken of Beholde I haue sought one by one to match this example of gentility and I haue found one man of a thousand that may contend with him The government of Nehemias throughout the whole booke is a singular president to all rulers 1 In the building of the wals of Ierusalem he would not bee checked by Sanballat and his mates when they dispightfully asked him what doe you will you rebell against the king He then answered The God of heaven will prosper vs and we will rise vp and build but as for you ye haue no portion nor right nor memoriall in Hierusalem 2 When they determined by conspiracy to fight against Hierusalem and slaie the builders of the walles he placed them with speares and bowes and gaue them this encouragement Be not afraid of theÌ„ but remember the great Lord and fearefull and fight for your brethren your sons your daughters your wiues your houses So they did the worke of the Lorde with one hand and held the sword with the other wroughte by daie and watched by night yea they were so carefull in their watch hee and his servantes and his brethren and the men of the warde which followed him that no man put of his cloathes saue that they put them of for washing 3 When the people were oppressed by their brethren their landes houses vineyards gaged for corne their sons and daughters brought to subiection he rebuked the princes and rulers Yee lay burthens every one vpon his brethren wee haue redeemed them from the heathen and yee will sell them againe that which yee doo is not good restore them their lands oliues vineyards houses remit the hundreth part of the silver corne wine oile that yee exact of them Yea hee called the Priestes and caused them to sweare to doe it Moreover he shooke his lap and said Thus let the Lord shake out every man that performeth not his promise even thus let him be shaken out and emptied 4 When the sabbath was prophaned amongst them for some in Iudaea trode wine-presses and brought in sheaues and laded asses with wine grapes and figges and other of Tyre brought fish and all wares and sold them on the sabbathes in Ierusalem he not only rebuked their rulers what evell is this that yee doe and shewed them the daunger This did our fathers and God plagued the cittie but hee caused the gates of the cittie to bee shutt before the sabbath and set servants of his at the gates and the chapmen remained without the walles at night and he protested vnto them that if they tarried againe about the wall he would lay handes vpon them 5 When some of the Iewes married their wiues from Asdod Ammon and Moab and their children spake halfe in the speech of Asdod and coulde not speake in the Iewes language first hee reproved them secondly cursed them thirdly smote certaine of them fourthly pulled of their haire for a further reproch vnto them and lastly tooke an othe of them by God yee shall not giue your daughters unto their sonnes neither shall yee take of their daughters for yours sonnes nor for your selues 6 Eliashib the Priest kinsman to Tobiah in the absence of Nehemie from Ierusalem having the oversight of the chamber of the house of the Lorde where the offering and incense vesselles and tithes for the provision of Levites singers and porters and the offerings of Priests were wont to be laide hee made a chamber thereof for his kinsman Tobias the Horonite The order that Nehemias tooke for the amendment of this abuse is throughly persued 1. it grieved him sore 2. he cast out the vesselles of Tobiah out of the chamber and then caused the
conscience I am afflicted the inheritaÌ„ce I am diminished liberty I am restrained for thy sake These are arguments perswasions that haue done good as Augustine affirmeth of the Donatistes and Circumcellions in Affricke that being terrified by paines they began to enter into consideration with themselues whether they suffered for iustice or for obstinacie and presumption But you will say that some men are not bettered hereby Shall wee therefore saith Augustine reiect the phisicke because the sicknesse of some is incurable For of such it is written I haue smitten your children in vaine they receiue no correction And for the better managing of the whole cause he addeth this iudgement If they were terrified and not taught it would seeme tyrannie againe if taught not terrified it would harden them in an inveterate custome make theÌ„ more sluggish to recâ—iue their saluatioÌ„ As for that obiectioÌ„ of liberty of conscience he answereth it in an other place It is in vaine that thou saiest leaue me to my free will for why proclaimest thou not liberty in homicides and whordomes aswell GOD hath given indeede free will vnto man free from coaction but it vvas not his will meane time that either the good will of man shoulde bee without fruite or his evill will without punishment Tertullian is of the same minde with Augustine that it is meete that heretickes shoulde bee compelled to doe their duetie not allured I say compelled if allurement will not serue for they must not alway bee prayed and entreated Hee that hath a phrensie must be bound â—nd he that hath a lethargy must be prickt vp and he that hath strengthned himselfe in heresie whether he keepe it privately to himselfe or diffuse it amongst others must violently be pulled from it These persons hath Augustine distinguished For there are some heretickes troublesomely audacious others anciently sluggish and taken with a sleepy disease neither of these may in wisedome be forborne There are some makers others but followers proselytes disciples in heresies these are either weake or indurate So then first counsell and afterwardes compell them if that will not serue to bring them to the service of God according to that forme which the lawes of our countrey haue set downe though I wish not one haire of their heades diminished but vvhen they strike at our heade and had rather powre bloude into their veines then let it out but when the atrocity of their actes can no longer bee tolerated yet were I worthy to giue advise I would haue a writer go with his inckhorne from man to man and marke them in the foreheades that mourne for the vvelfare of our realme and as bond-men to their brethren they should hew woode and draw water to the hoast of Israel as Iosuah vsed the Gibeonites for their guile Who will pitty the charmer that is stung by the serpent because it was the folly of the charmer to go to neare or who will favour that man that nourisheth a gangrene within his body and seeketh not helpe to remooue it We nurse vp lions whelps for our owne overthrow as Amilcar brought vp his sonnes for the ruine of Rome we play too boldly at the holes of aspes we embolden the faces encourage the harts strengthen the handes of them that keepe an 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 a daily recorde of all our actions and haue taken to vse whatsoever hath beene spoken or done against them these many Halcyon yeares of ours meaning to exchange it ten for one if ever they see the day of their long expected alteration But the cause is the Lords Whatsoever they looke for let vs vindicate his dishonor who hath made this countrey of ours a sanctuary for true religion a refuge and shade in the heate of the day for persecuted professors who haue beene chased like bees from their owne hiues a temple for himselfe to dwell in Let vs not make that temple a stewes a coÌ„mon receit for all coÌ„mers that both Atheists Papists Anabaptists and all sortes of sectaries may hold what conscience they will and serue such God as like themseles THE EIGHT LECTVRE Chap. 1. vers 6. Call vpon thy God if so bee that God will thinke vpon vs that wee perish not I Haue noted before out of these words both the carefulnesse of the Ship-master continued towardes his charge and the liberty or rather license hee gaue vnto Ionas to serue his peculiar God Touching which indulgence of his I shewed my opinion whether it bee expedient that a governour shoulde tolerate a distraction of his subiectes into divers religions Mee thinketh there are two thinges more implyed in this member Call vpon thy God carying the reasons why hee called vpon Ionas after this sort For either he affected the person of Ionas supposing perhappes that some merit and grace in the man might more prevaile by prayer then the rest or els he affianced the God of Ionas and as one weary or distrustfull of his owne hoped there might be an other God more able to deliver them I will not enter into coniectures too farre but surely it is likely enoughe that either by the lookes or speech or attire or behaviour or some forepassed devotion or other the like notice the maister conceaved a good opinion of Ionas The forehead sometime sheweth the man as the widow of Shunem by the very vsage countenance speech of Elizeus was able to tell her husband Beholde I know now that this is an holy man of God that passeth by vs continually If this were his reason it was not greatly amisse because there is great difference betweene man and man For neither the priority of birth which Esau had of Iacob Gen. 25. nor the heigth of stature which Eliab had of David 1. Sam 16. nor the pompe and honour of the world which Haman had of Mardochai Esther 3. nor all the wisedome of Chaldea which the Astrologers had of Daniel nor the antiquity of daies which many daughters of Sion had of the blessed Virgin nor the prerogatiue of calling which the Scribes and Pharises had of poore fishermen nor the countrey which Annas and Caiaphas had of Cornelius nor eloquence of speech which Tertullus had of Paule nor any the like respect is able to commende a man in such sort but that his inferiours in that kinde for more vertuous conditions may be magnified aboue him It may be the maister of the shippe vvas so perswaded of Ionas that though he were but one to a multitude a stranger amongst strangers a scholler and puny amongst marchants and souldiours whose state and carriage was every way beyond his yet he might haue a spirit blessing and wisedome beyond all theirs and therefore repaireth vnto him Arise call vpon thy God How onelye and incomparable vvas the favour vvhich Abraham the great father of many people found in the eyes of God who being but dust and ashes as himselfe confessed pleaded vvith his maker as
flesh and bloude but against principalities and powers and vvorldly governours the princes of the darkenesse of this worlde against spirituall vvickednesses which are in high places Our enimies you see are furnished as enimies should be with strength in their handes and malice in their heartes besides all other gainefull advantages as that they are spirit against flesh privie and secret against that that is open high against that that is lowe and farre beneath them Now in this combate of our soules our faith is not onely our prize exercise and masteries which vvee are to prooue as it is called the good fighte of faith but a part of our armour which vvee are to weare our target to defend the place where the heart lieth Ephe. 6. our brest-plate 1. Thes. 5. and more then so For it is our victorie and conquest against the worlde of enimies So faith is all in all vnto vs. Blessed bee the Lorde for hee hath shewed his marveilous kindnes towards vs in a strong citty He hath set vs in a fortresse and bulwarke of faith so impregnable for strength that neither heighth nor depth life nor death thinges present nor things to come nor al the gates devils of hel nor the whole kingdome of darknesse can prevaile against it I grant there are many times whē this bulwarke is assaulted driven at with the fiery darts of the devill vvhen the conscience of our own infirmity is greater then the view of Gods mercy when the eie of faith is dim the eie of flesh and bloud too much open when the Lord seemeth to stand far of to hide himselfe in the needful time of trouble To be deafe and not to answere a word To hold his hād in his bosome not to pul it out whē this may be the bitter mone that we make vnto him My God my God why hast thou forsaken me and this our dolefull song which we sing to our souls in the night season will the Lord absent himselfe for ever wil he shew no more favor is his mercy cleane gone for euer doth his promise faile for euermore hath God forgottē to be gracious doth hee shut vp his mercies in displeasure Lord how long wilt thou hide thy selfe for ever and shall thy wrath burne like fire These be the dāgerous conflicts which the captaines of the Lordes armies and the most chosen children of his right hand sometimes endure The lyons themselues sometimes roare with such passions how shall the lambes but tremble if the soules of the perfite which haue beene fedde with the marrowe of fatnesse and drunke of the fulnesse of the cuppe haue sometimes fainted in themselues for want of such reliefe much more vnperfite and weake consciences which haue tasted but in part how gracious the Lord is I aunswere in a word The faithfull feare for a time but they gather their spirites againe and recover warmth at the sunne-shine of Gods mercies their feete are almost gone and their steppes well neere slipt but not altogither they finde in the sanctuary of the Lorde a proppe to keepe them vp at length they confesse against themselues This is my infirmity they curbe and reproue themselues for their diffidence and vvhatsoeuer they say in their haste that all men are lyars and perhappes God himselfe not true yet by leasure they repent it The Apostle doth pithily expresse my meaning 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 staggering but not vvholy sticking Againe they feare the particular they distrust not the generall it may bee victorie on their sides it may be overthrowe it may be shipwracke it may be escape it may be life it may be death whether of these two they know not for both they are somewhat indifferent As when Shemei cursed David the speech that the king vsed for his comfort was this It may be the Lord will looke vpon my teares and doe mee good for his cursing this day As who would say if otherwise the care is taken I referre it to his wisedome Amos hath the like speech It may bee the Lorde God of Israell will bee mercifull to the remnante of Ioseph he meaneth in preventing their captivity But whether captivity or deliveraunce they are at peace as perswading themselues that if the mercy of God faile them in one thing it maie embrace them otherwise for they know that all thinges worke togither for the best to them that loue God as the Apostle writeth Though such be the hope of sonnes and daughters yet the case of straungers is otherwise For they are secure neither in particular nor in generall they measure all things by their sense and as the manner of brute beasts is consider but that which is before their feete and having not faith they want the evidence and demonstration of thinges that are not And therefore the master of the ship as I conceiue it knowing that life alone which belongeth to the earthly man perhaps not kenning the immortality of the soule or if hee thought it immortall by the light of reason in some sorte as the blinde man recovered savve men like trees vvith a shadowed and mistie light yet not knowing the state of the blessed setteth all the adventure vpon this one successe and maketh it the scope of all their praiers and paines Ne percamus That we perish not For such is the condition of heathen men they knowe not what death the righteous die as Balaam plainly distinguished it they are not translated like other men nor dissolved nor taken away nor gathered to their fathers and people nor fallen a sleepe which are the milde phrases of scripture whereby the rigour of death is tempered their life is not hid for a time to be founde out againe but vvhen they are deade in body they are deade in bodie and soule too their death is a perishing indeede they are lost and miscarried they come to nothinge their life their thoughtes their hope all is gone and vvhen others departe this life in peace as Simeon did and go as ripely and readily from this vale of miserye as apples fall from the tree with good contentation of heart and no way disquieted these as if they vvere giuen not lent to their liues must bee dravven and pulled away from them as beastes from their dennes vvith violence Hierome reporteth of Nepotians quiet and peaceable departure from his life Thou wouldest thinke that hee did not die but walke forth And Tertullian hath the like sentence It is but the taking of a iourney which thou deemest to be death Whereas the Emperour of Rome for want of better learning ignorant of the life to come sang a lamentable farewell to his best beloved nor long before they were sundred My fleeting fonde poore darling Bodies ghest and equall Where now must be thy lodging Pale and starke and stript of all And put from wonted sporting Compare with these wretched creatures some plainely denying the
head vvhich is the worst kinde of eie neerer to other men then to themselues Ionas I graunt was the man vvhom the anger of God as an arrowe from a bowe levelled at yet did not the others know so much and therefore had litle reason to thinke that there was not matter enough eche man in himselfe to deserue the punishment This translation of faults from our selues to others was a lesson learned in paradise when the first rudimentes and catechisme of all rebellions was delivered to the children of men For Adam being charged with the crime of disobedience hee put it to the vvoman the woman to the serpent as if both the former had not beene touched When Saul caused lottes to be cast betweene him and Ionathan on the one side and all Israell on the other to finde out the man who contrarie to their vowe had eaten any thinge before night he saith not vnto God declare the offender which he shoulde haue done but by an arrogant speech in favour of his owne integritie Cedo integrum shew me the innocent person Ionathan I confesse was guiltie in this one offence if it vvere an offence yet was the innocencie of Saul discredited in many others Shemei a dead dogge as Abishai tearmed him forgetteth his owne people I meane the sinnes of his owne bosome and raileth at David with a tongue as virulent as aspes Come forth Come forth thou man of bloud thou man of Beliall thou art taken in thy wickednesse because thou art a murtherer How did the frendes of Iob breake a bruised reede and adde affliction to the afflicted making their whole conference with him an invectiue against his wickednesse and conveying in vvithall a secret apologie purgation of their owne iustice It appeareth by our Saviours aunswere in the gospell of Luke that there vvere some amongst the people vvhich supposed those Galilaeans whose bloud Pilate had mingled with their sacrifices greater sinners then the rest and those eighteene vpon vvhome the tower of Siloam fell and slevv them sinners aboue all men that dvvelt in Ierusalem Our Saviour answereth them by occupation I tell you Nay but except you amende your liues you shall likewise perish When the Barbarians of Malta sawe the viper hanging vpon Pauls hande they inferred presently men more viperous and pestilent themselues this man surely is a murtherer vvhome though hee hath escaped the sea yet vengeance doth not suffer to liue It was the vsuall maner of the Scribes and Pharisees to sow pillowes of selfe-liking vnder their owne arme-holes and to take no knowledge of beames in their owne eies but evermore to except against their brethren as men not vvorthy the earth they trode vpon Why eateth your master with Publicanes and sinners This man is a friende to sinners Againe if this man vvere a Prophet hee woulde surelie haue knowne who and what vvoman this is that toucheth him for shee is a sinner when the woman with a boxe of spike-nard annointed his feete Such doctrine preached the Pharisee that went into the temple to iustifie himselfe a lying prophet against his owne soule I thanke God I am not as other men nor as this Publicane Hee spake like Caiaphas truer then hee was avvare of hee vvas not as the Publicane in confession of his misdeedes nor the Publicane as hee in arrogation of iustice Thus Diogenes treadeth downe the pride of Plato but vvith greater pride and the Pharisee reproveth the sinne of a Publicane but vvith greater sinne Mala mens malus animus An evill minde in it selfe is an evill minde towardes all others You see the disease of mankinde vvorthy to bee searched and seared vvith severe reprehension how strange wee are to our owne how domesticall and inwarde to other mens offences how blinde in our selues how censorius and lynce-eied against our brethren how willing to smooth our owne pates with the balme of assentation selfe-pleasing how loth to acknowledge that which we brought from the wombe I am a sinfull man but to go further with Paule Ego primus I am chiefe to be greatest in the kingdome of heaven we will scarsly do it Wel it is a sentence of eternity hanging as in a table over the iudgement seate of God and his eies are never removed frō it He that commendeth himselfe is not allowed but he whom the Lord commendeth and this other is not vnlike vnto it He that condemneth another man is not his iudge but God hath apointed a iudge both for small and great Who art thou saith Iames that iudgest another If he be alter vnto thee an other from thy selfe and vvithout thy skinne iudge him not He that iudgeth his brother iudgeth the law whose office it is to iudge and offereth iniury to the law-giuer himselfe For there is one law-giuer which is able to saue and to destroy Who art thou that iudgest another mans servant he standeth or falleth vnto his owne master not vnto thee yea contrary to thy thought will hee shal be established for God is able to make him stande But why dost thou iudge thy brother he is not thy servant but thy brother your condition is alike Wee shall all appeare before the iudgement seate of Christ Iudge nothing therefore before the time vntill the Lorde come vvho vvill lighten things that are hid in darknes make the counsels of the hart manifest then shal every man haue praise of God First then because he is another 2. because he serveth his own Lord 3. because he is thy brother 4. because the law-giver hath power of life death in his handes his law must iudge 5. because the time of iudgement is not yet come for al these reasons and perswasions Iudge not another man Iudge him by law if thou be a magistrate iudge him by charitie and discretion if a private christian and be not only an eie to obserue and a tongue to condemne but an hande to support him yet rather if I may counsell thee iudge thy selfe that thou bee not iudged with the worlde Say with Bernarde vpon the Canticles I will present my selfe before the countenaunce of Gods wrath already iudged not to be iudged For if we woulde iudge our selues the Apostle telleth vs we might escape iudgment Call thy soule to daily account of thine own misdeeds Thus did Sextius when the day was ended and the night come wherein he should take his rest he woulde aske his minde vvhat evill hast thou healed this day what vice hast thou stood against in what part art thou bettered Say not as Peter did of Iohn Hic autem quid what shall hee doe as one carefull of other mens estates but Domine quis ego sum Lord who am I that thou shouldest regarde mee with such favour Domine miserere mei peccatoris O Lord be mercifull vnto me a sinner Thus knocke at the brest of thine owne conscience breake vp those iron and heavy gates
children within the citty of Shusan throughout all the provinces of the kingdome should be destroied But did the Almighty sleepe at this wicked and bloudy designemeÌ„t or was his eie held blind-folded that he could not see it No that powerfull and dreadfull God who holdeth the bal of the world in his hand and keepeth a perfite kalender of all times seasons had so inverted the course of thinges for his chosens sake that the moneth day before prefined became most dismal to those that intended mischiefe Without further allegations this may suffice as touching the successe of the lots and consequently the providence of God in the moderation thereof It is now a questioÌ„ meete to be discussed the offender being found whether it stande with the iustice of God to scourge a multitude because one in the coÌ„pany hath transgressed For though I condemned their arrogancy before in that not knowing who the offender was they wiped their mouthes each man in the ship with the harlot in the Proverbs asked in their harts Is it I yet when the oracle of God hath now dissolved the doubt and set as it were his marke vpon the trouble plague of the whole ship they had some reason to thinke that it was not a righteous parte to lay the faults of the guilty vpon the harmelesse innocent This was the cause that they complained of old that the whole fleete of the Argiues was overthrowne Vnius ob noxam furias Aiacis Oilei for one mans offence Nay they were not content there to rest but they charged the iustice of God with an accusation of more vveight Plerunque nocenâ—es Praeterit examinatque indignos inque nocentes as though oftentimes hee freed the nocent and laide the burthen of woes vpon such as deserved them not It appeareth in Ezechiell that the children of Israell had taken vp as vngratious a by-word amongst them the fathers haue eaten the sower grape and the childrens teeth are set on edge and they conclude therehence the waies of God are not equall It was an exception that Bion tooke against the Gods that the fathers smarte was devolved to their posterity and thus hee scornefully matched it as if a physitian for the grandfathers or fathers disease shoulde minister physicke to their sonnes or nephewes They spake evill of Alexander the greate for razing the city of the Branchides because their auncestoures had pulled downe the temple of Miletum They mocked the Thracians for beating their wiues at that day because their foreruÌ„ners had killed Orpheus And Agathocles escaped not blame for wasting the island Corcyra because in ancienter times it gaue entertainment to Vlysses Nay Abraham himselfe the father of the faithfull heire of the promises friend of God disputeth with the Lord about Sodome to the like effect Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked Againe Be it far from thee for doing this thing to slay the righteous with the vnrighteous and that the iust should be as the vniust this be far from thee shal not the iudge of al the world do right In the booke of Numbers when God willed Moses Aaron to seperate themselues froÌ„ the congregation that he mighte at once destroy them they fel vpon their faces said O God the God of the spirits of every creature hath not one man only sinned wilte thou bee wroth with all the congregation In the first of Chronicles when for the offence of David in numbring his people the plague fell vpon them slew seventy thousand of them the king with the elders fell downe cried vnto the Lord Is it not I that commanded to number the people It is even I that haue sinned and committed this evill but these sheepe what haue they done O Lord my God I beseech thee let thine hand bee vpon me and vpon my fathers house and not on thy people for their destruction I answere this hainous crimination grievance against the righteousnes of God in few words froÌ„ the authorities of Ezechiel Ieremy before alleaged Behold all soules are mine saith the Lord both the soule of the father also of the sonne are mine the soule that sinneth it shall die O yee house of Israel is not my way equal or are not your waies vnequall If it vvere a truth which the poet sang to his friend Delicta maiorum immeritus lues Romane thou shalt beare the faultes of thy forefathers vvithout thine owne deservings the question vvere more difficult But who is able to say my heart is cleane though I came from an vncleane seede though I were borne of a Morian I haue not his skinne though an Ammorite were my father and my mother an Hittite I haue not their nature I haue touched pitch am not defiled I can wash mine handes in innocency say with a cleare conscience I haue not sinned But if this be the case of vs all that there is not a soule in the whole cluster of mankind that hath not offended though not as principal touching the fact presently enquired of as Achan in taking the accursed thing Corah in rebelling David in numbring the people yet an accessary in consenting coÌ„cealing if neither principal nor accessary in that one sin yet culpable in a thousand others coÌ„mitted in our life time perhaps not open to the world but in the eies of God as bright as the sun in the firmament for the scorpion hath a stinge though hee hath not thrust it forth to wounde vs man hath malice though he hath not outwardly shewed it it may be some sins to come which God foreseeth some already past which he recouÌ„teth shall we stand in argument with God as man would plead with man charge the iudge of the quicke dead with iniurious exactions I haue paide the thinges that I neuer tooke I haue borne the price of sinne which I neuer committed You heare the ground of mine answere We haue al sinned father and son rush branch deservedly are to expect that wages from the hands of God which to our sin appertaineth touching this present company I nothing doubt but they might particularly bee touched for their proper private iniquities though they had missed of Ionas Bias to a like fare of passengers shakeÌ„ with an horrible tempest as these were and crying to their Gods for succor answered not without some iest in that earnest hold your peace least the Gods hap to heare that you passe this way noting their lewdnesse to be such as might iustly draw downe a greater vengeance Besides it caÌ„not be denied but those things which we seyer part in our conceits by reason that distance of time place hath sundred theÌ„ some being done of old some of late some in one quarter of the world some in an other those doth the God of knowledge vnite and veweth them at once as if they were done
dissolute I feare and beare a reverent estimation 3. I am not carried away to dumbe idols I feare the Lorde God 4. who is not a God in heaven alone as your Iupiter nor in the sea alone as your Neptune nor alone in the earth as your Pluto but alone is the God of heaven and doth not hold by tenure but 5. himselfe hath made the sea and the dry land not only the land of Israel wherin he principally dwelleth and which I relinquished but the land of Tharsis also the continent dry ground belonging to the whole world not the land alone but all the waters of the maine sea which I tooke for my refuge and sanctuary I am an Hebrew From the beginning of the worlde to the time of Christ are numbred fowre propagations or generations the first from Adam to Noe the second from Noe to Abraham the third from Abraham to David the fourth from David to Christ. In the second generation was the name of the Hebrewes received in the third of the Israelites from Iacob sirnamed Israel whose grandfather Abraham was in the fourth of the Iewes after that Iuda and Beniamin which for the vnity of mindes were as it were one tribe following Rehoboam the son of Salomon of the tribe of Iuda made the kingdome of Iuda the other ten betaking them to Ieroboam of the tribe of Ephraim set vp the kingdome of the Ephraimites or of Israel One and the same people thrice changed their names Touching the first of these names there are sundry opinioÌ„s brought wheÌ„ce it arose 1. Some thinke they were called Hebrews of AbrahaÌ„ with the alteration of a fewe letters Hebraei quasi Abrahaei 2. some deriue them from Heber who was the fourth froÌ„ Noah 3. the graÌ„marians fetch theÌ„ froÌ„ an Hebrew word which signifieth over or beyonde because the posterity of SeÌ„ went over the river Tigris abode in Caldaea This sirname you shall first finde given to AbrahaÌ„ Gen. 14. where it is said that he which brought news that Lot was carried out of Sodome with the rest of the booty tolde it to Abraham the Hebrew because forsaking Vr of the Chaldees and passing over Euphrates he came into the land of Canaan therefore was he named of that couÌ„try people Ibreus that is one that past over So there is no doubt made but of Abraham they are called Hebrews because he harkned to the word of the Lorde and went beyond Euphrates Some haue gathered here-hence that in calling himselfe an Hebrew he maketh coÌ„fession of his fault that as the children of Sem Abraham past over rivers so by a borrowed speech he had past over the commandement of the Lord. For what is sinne but transgression transitio linearum the going beyond those lines limits that are prefined vs Other obserue that he implieth the condition of mans life heerein as having no abiding citie but a travaile vpon the face of the earth to passe from place to place as it is written of Israell in the Psalme they went from nation to nation from one kingdome to an other people and David confesseth no lesse I am a stranger and soiourner vpon the earth as all my fathers were Hierome vvoulde haue vs note that he tearmeth not himselfe a Iew which name came from the reÌ„ding of the kingdome but an Hebrew that is a passenger I take the letter of the text without deeper constructions that his purpose simply was to answere their last question which was yet fresh in his eares touching the people from whence he came and by naming his nation to make an argument against himselfe of higher amplification that lying in that corner of the worlde which was the diamond of the ring and as it were the apple of the eie heart of the body being sprung of that roote whereof it was saide Onely this people is wise and of vnderstanding and a greate nation for vvhat nation is so great to vvhome the Gods come so neere as the Lorde is neere vnto vs in all that wee call vnto him for or what nation so greate that hath ordinaunces and lawes so righteous as wee haue it might bee his greater offence to bee sovven good and come vp evill to bee richly planted in the goodlyest vine and baselie degenerated into a sower grape As it were a greater shame not to bee knit indissolublie to the worshippe of God in Englande than any other countrey almost it lying in Europe as Gedeons fleece in the flore exempted from the plagues of her neighbours and speciallye signed vvith the favour of GOD Hungary and Boheme busied with the Turkes Italy poisoned vvith the local seat of Antichrist Spaine held in awe with a bloudy Inquisition nether Germany disquieted with a forraine foe France molested with an intestine enemy Ireland troubled with the incivility of the place Scotland with her fatal infelicity England amongst all the rest having peaceable daies and nightes and not knowing any other bane but too much quietnes which shee hath taken from God with the left hand and vsed as the fountaine of all her licentiousnes After his country he placeth his religion I feare the Lord God of heaven which is here put for the generall worship and service that belongeth to God For that which God saith Esay 29. their feare is taughte by the precepts of men Christ interpreteth Math 15. by the name of vvorship In vaine doe they worship me teaching for doctrines the precepts of men Feare and worshippe in these scriptures are both one Come children saith the Psalmist hearken vnto mee I will teach you the feare of the Lord. And it is a notable phrase that the Hebrewes vse to this purpose as in the speech of Iacob to Laban Gen. 31. Except the God of my father the God of Abrâ—ham and the â—eare of Isaac had beene with mee surelie thou hadst sent mee avvay emptie where it is further to be marked that when Laban sware by the God of Abraham and the God of Nahor Iacob sware by the feare of his father Isaac that is by that God which his father feared that is worshipped and served It implieth thus much that the strength of Israell is a dreadfull God clothed with vnspeakeable maiesty as with a garment the glory of his face shining brighter than al the lights of heaven in their beauty yea the beholding of his countenance to a mortall man present death the Angels tremble the heavens melt the mountaines smoake the sea slieth backe the rivers are dried vp the fish rot the earth fainteth at the sight thereof therfore we ought not approach his grouÌ„d with our shooes on our feet with sensual base cogitations nor sit at his feast when the breade of his fearful word is broken without our wedding garment nor enter his house of praier with the sacrifice of fooles nor come to his holy mysteries with vnwasht handes or harts not
haue knowne it to turne from the holie commaundement given vnto vs. For where as the ende is the perfection of every thing the ende of the relapsed Christians is vvorse then their beginning There is scientia contristans a sorrowfull and wofull knowledge as Bernarde gathered out of the first of Ecclesiastes Hee that encreaseth knowledge encreaseth sorrow It is truest in this sense when wee are able and willing to say vvith the Pharisee are vvee also blinde and yet with our eies open vve runne into destruction The time shall come vvhen many shall say that you may knowe it is the case of a multitude to bee svvallovved into this gulfe Lorde vvee haue hearde thee in our streetes c. and yet their knowledge of Christ shall not gaine his knowledge of them but as straungers and reprobates they shal bee sent from him Our knowledge shall then bee vveighed to the smallest graine but if our holinesse of life put in the other plate of the ballance bee founde to lighte and vnanswerable vnto it our sorrowes shall make it vp Therefore vnlesse vve be still sicke of Adames disease that vvee had rather eate of the tree of knowledge then of the tree of life let vs be carefull of knowledge not only to sobriety but with profitte also that the fruit of a good life bringing eternity of daies to come may waite vpon it Blessed are those soules wherein the tree of syncere knowledge is rooted and the worme of security or contempt hath not eaten vp the fruit the Lord shall water them with the dew of heaven in this life and translate them hereafter as glorious renowned plantes into his heavenly garden THE XII LECTVRE Chap. 1. ver 10. Then were the men exceedinglie afraide and said vnto him why hast thou done this For the men knew that hee had fled from the presence of the Lord because he had told them BEcause the confession in the ninth verse is not so absolute as to aunswere all the questions which were propounded therefore the supply and perfection thereof must bee brought from this tenth wherein we vnderstande that the whole order summe of his disobedience was related albeit not described at large that being a prophet and sent vvith a message to Niniveh hee fled from the presence of the Lord that is cast his commaundementes behinde his backe The connexion then betwixt these two verses is this I am an Hebrew of the happiest people and country vnder heaven I am not ignorant of true religion For I feare the Lorde c. All which is by way of preface for amplifications sake the more to extende the fault mentioned in the words following yet am I fled from the presence of the Lorde I haue taken a froward and vnadvised course to frustrate his businesse With this addition you may shape an answere directly to every question 1. What is thine office shunning the face of God running from his presence contēpt of his voice 2. What is thine occupation not manuary and illiberall not fraudulent deceitfull but a calling immediate from God I stand in his sight as the Angels of heaven doe to heare my charge and when he giveth mee an errande my office is to performe it 3. Whence commest thou from the presence of the Lord from whose lips I received my late commission 4. What is thy country I am an Hebrew 5. Of what people the most scient skilfull in the service of God Thus haue you his whole confession Now he beginneth to be wise and with a prudent simplicity more worth then a thousande tergiversations to returne vnto him by confessing his fault from whome hee was fled by disobedience to recover his lost iustice by accusing himselfe to cast forth the impostumated matter of a dissembling conscience vvhich being concealed had beene presente death to honour the righteous Lorde whom hee had grossely dishonoured and by opening his lippes into an humble confession to shut the mouth of hell which began to open vpon him My sonne saith Iosuah to Achan I beseech thee giue glory to the Lorde God of Israell and make confession vnto him and shewe mee nowe what thou hast done hide it not from mee It is a part of the glory of God to shame our selues I meane to confesse our sinnes which in modesty and shamefastnes we striue to keepe close not onely vnto God against whom onely vvee haue sinned and to whom onlie it appertaineth to saie I haue pardoned I will not destroy but vnto men also either to the magistrate vvho hath authority to examine either to the minister who hath power to binde and loose either to our brethren generallie that the common rule of charity one in supporting the others infirmities may be kept in practise And it is on the other side an iniurie to God not to iustifie his iudgementes nor to acknowledge the conquest of his trueth when it hath prevailed but in a fullen and melancholy passion to strangle it vvithin our bones and never to yeelde the victorie therevnto till as the sunne from out the cloudes so trueth hath made her a way by maine force from out our dissimulations The first degree of felicitie is not to offend the seconde to knowe and acknowledge offences And as men dreame in their sleepe but tell their dreames waking so howsoever wee may sin by carelesnes yet it is an argument of health and recovery to confesse our sinnes For vvhat shal we gaine by dissembling them Wounds the closer they are kept the greater torture they bring sinnes not confessed will bring condemnation vpon vs without confession What followeth When Ionas had confessed his fault 1. They knewe it for his owne mouth hath condemned him They had a presumptuous knowledge before by the eviction of the lottes but now they are out of doubte by his owne declaration So the texte speaketh The men knew that hee had fled from the presence of the Lord because hee had tolde them 2. Their knowledge wrought a feare in them Then were the men exceedingly afraide 3. Their feare brake forth either into an increpation or a wonder at the least They saide why hast thou done this Their knowledge was consequent of force to his confession they could not but be privie therevnto because hee powred not his speech into the aire but into their eares that they might apprehend it But this knowledge of theirs was not a curious and idle knowledge such as those men haue who know onely to know but a pragmaticall knowledge full of labour and businesse it went from their eares to their heartes and made as greate a tempest in their consciences as the winde in the seas it mingled and confounded all their cogitations it kindled a feare within them that sundered their soules and spirites And though their feare before was vehement enough in the fifth verse when neither their tongues were at rest for crying nor their wares had peace from being cast out yet
experience experience hope and hope will neuer suffer them to be ashamed or dismaide They breake the chaine at the first linke troubled they are against their wils but that which is voluntarie as patience experience hope they wil not adde that both in body soule they may be confoūded We on the other side hang vpon the chaine trust to climbe to heauen by it through the merits of Christs death and passion whereof the last linke consisteth and wee suffer none of those comfortable perswasions to fall to the ground without vse that if we suffer with him we shall also raigne with him and through many tribulations we must enter into the kingdome of heauen wee regarde not so much what part we haue in the whip but what place in the testament wee knowe who hath sequestred for vs to vse the word of Tertullian Idoneus patientiae sequester Deus God will truely account for all our sufferings If wee commit our wrongs vnto him he will reuenge them our losses hee will restore them our liues he will raise them vp againe THE XV. LECTVRE Chap. 1. ver 14. Then they cried vnto the Lorde and saide we beseech thee O Lord we beseech thee THE sea is angrie you haue hearde for the Lorde of hostes sake and will haue a sacrifice They gaue it space and respite enough to see if time coulde make it forgette the iniurie that vvas offered they entered consultation vvith Ionas himselfe of some milder handlinge him they spared not their painfullest contention of armes and ores to reduce him to land againe But when delay wrought no better successe and neither the prophet himselfe coulde by advise prescribe nor they effect by labour and strength the release of GODS vengeance what shoulde they doe but make ready the sacrifice and binde it to the hornes of the altar bestovvinge a fevve vvordes of blessing and dedication if I speake rightly before the offering thereof Ionas is sacrificed in the nexte verse So they tooke vp Ionas But the consecration and hallowing of the sacrifice goeth before in these wordes vvherefore they cryed c. It is the catastrophe of the vvhole acte novve it draweth to an issue and accomplishment their feare praier proiection of their vvares sortilege examination of Ionas consultation and other machinations and assaies whatsoever were but prefaces and introductions to this that followeth The sea hath made a vowe and will surely performe it I will not giue my waters any rest nor lye downe vpon my couch till Ionas be cast forth Wherefore or then It implyeth an illation from the former speeches When neither head nor handes counsaile nor force coulde provide a remedie they make it their last refuge to commende both themselues and Ionas to God by supplication t Ionas by a touch and in secret in that they call his bloud innocent bloude as who woulde saie hee never did vs hurte themselues of purpose and by profession that having to deale in a matter so ambiguous the mercy and pardon of God might be their surest fortresse The substance and soule of the vvhole sentence is prayer a late but a safe experiment and if the worst shoulde fall out that there vvere imperfection or blame in their action nowe intended praier the soveraignest restoratiue vnder heauen to make it sound againe For thus in effecte they thinke It may be wee shall be guilty of the life of a Prophet wee addresse our selues to the effusion of harme lesse bloude we must adventure the fact and whether we be right or wrong we knowe not but whatsoever betide we begge remission at thine hands be gracious and merciful vnto our ignorances require not soule for soule bloud for bloud neither lay our iniquities vnto our charge Praier hath asked pardon praier I doubt not hath obteined pardon for some of that bloudy generation which slew the very son heire of the kingdome which offered an vnrighteous sacrifice of a more righteous soule than ever Ionas was Else why did he open his mouth at his death powre forth his gronings for those that opened his side and powred forth his blood father forgiue them Before they had handled the ores of their trade and occupation but prevailed not for bodily exercise profiteth nothing novve they betake them to the ores of the spirite invocations intercessions to the ever-liuing God that if the bankes of the land vvhich they hoped to recover should faile them they might be receiued to an harbour and rode of the mercies of God These are the ores my brethren which shall rowe the shippe through all the stormes and insurrections of the waues of the seas I meane the Arke of Gods Church vniuersal and these vessels of ours our bodies soules in particular through all the dangers of the world and land them in the hauen of eternal redemption This worlde is a sea as I finde it compared swelling with pride vaineglory the winde to heaue it vp blew livide with envy boiling with wrath deepe with covetousnes foming with luxuriousnesse swallowing drinking in all by oppression dangerfull for the rockes of presumption and desperation rising with the waues of passions perturbations ebbing flowing with inconstancy brinish and salte with iniquity and finally Mare amarum a bitter and vnsavory sea with all kinde of misery What shoulde wee doe then in such a sea of tēptations where the arme of flesh is too weake to beare vs out if our strength were brasse it coulde not helpe vs where we haue reason to carry a suspition of all our waies and he that is most righteous in the cluster of mankinde falleth in his happiest day seven times and though we were privie to nothinge in our selues yet were wee not iustified thereby but had need to craue Clense vs O Lord frō our secret faults where we are taught to say father forgiue our debts and if the summe of our sins at our liues end be ten thousand talents then whether we speake or thinke wake or sleepe or whatsoever we do we adde a debt when all offend in many thinges many in all and he that offendeth in one iote of the law breaketh the vvhole vvhat should we doe I say but as the Apostles exhortation is pray continually and thinke neither place nor time nor businesse vnmeete to so holy and necessary an exercise that whether we beginne the day we may say with Abrahams servaunt O Lorde sende mee good speede this day or vvhither wee be covered with the shaddowes of the night we may begge with that sweete singer of Israell Lighten mine eies that I sleepe not in death or whatsoeuer vvee attempt in either of these two seasons vve may prevent it vvith the blessing of that other Psalme Prosper the vvorke of our handes vpon vs oh prosper thou our handy vvorkes Egredientes de hospitio armet oratio regredientibus de plataea occurrat oratio vvhen thou goest out of thine house let prayer
into the secretes of God But it is as true which the Apostle demandeth on the behalfe of the Lord Is there any iniquity with God far bee it Therefore they sinne a sinne which the darkest darkenesse in hell is too easie to requite who when they haue spilte the bloud of the innocent like water vpon the grounde defiled their neighbours bed troubled the earth and provoked heauen vvith many pernitious infamous mischiefes rapes robberies proditions burninges spoylings depopulations c. spewe out a blasphemy against righteousnesse it selfe countenauncing their sinnes by authoritie of him who hateth sinne and pleading that they haue done but the will of God in doing such outrages I knovv that the vvill of God though they had staves of yron in their handes and heartes to resist shall be done Vngracious vnwillinge and vnbeleevinge instrumentes shall doe that service to God which they dreame not of When God saith kill not and they contradict wee will kill even then though they violate the law of God yet is his will accomplished He hath hookes for the nostrelles and bridles for the chawes of the vvicked which they suppose not I will adde more Iudge yee vvhat I saie and the Lord giue you vnderstanding in all thinges He hath spurres for their flankes and sides which they neuer imagined Senacharib founde a bridle to stay him and an hooke to turne him backe Pharaoh had a spurre to driue him forwarde I vvill harden the heart of Pharaoh Exod. 4. and in many other places Let him alone let him take his pleasure and pastime but when he hath hardened his ovvne heart by malice then will I also harden it by iustice Thus the will of God is one way renounced and as sure as hee liveth and raigneth in heauen shall at the same time and in the same action some other way be perfourmed And yet are the men wicked though they do that which God would God most holy iust though he would that which the wicked do They beguile theÌ„selues heerein by a fallacy they are taken in their owne nets which they lay for an other purpose For thus they presume Hee that doth the will of God sinneth not true keepe the commandements honour God obey the Prince loue thy neighbour as thy selfe this is voluntas signi his will recorded in holy writ published abroade signified to all flesh and as it were proclaimed at a standard by precept threatnings promises terrour reward earnestly and openly required Novv the murtherer assumeth vpon the former grounde I doe the will of God For had it not stood with his vvill my power had fayled my hart had not beene able to conceiue a thought within me and my hande had vvithered and shrunke togither before I had giuen the stroke true likewise But this iâ— an other will a secret will of God his will at the second hand if I may so call is and by an accident a vvill against a wil that because hee did not that which God had publiquely enioyned hee should doe another thing which he had privately deterâ—ined Augustine deliuereth it in wise and pithy tearmes De hijs qui faciunt quae non vult facit ipse quae vult Of those vvhich doe vvhat God would not hee doeth what hee would and by a marveilous vneffable meanes it commeth to passe that it is not done without or besides his vvill which is euen done against his wil. Euclide to one that neuer rested to enquire of the Gods aunswered deseruedly Other thinges I knovve not this I know that they hate curious and busie inquisitours Adam was driuen out of paradise for affecting too much knowledge Israell had died the death Exod. 19. if they had past their bounds to climbe vp vnto the mounte and to gaze vpon the Lorde The men of Bethshemesh vvere slaine to the number of fiftie thousande for prying into the Arke 1. Sam. 6. The question is as high as the highest heauens dwelleth in light as vnsearchable as God himselfe couered vvith a curtaine of sacred secresie vvhich shall neuer bee dravvne aside till that day come vvherein wee shall knovve as wee are knovvne and then but in measure and proportion VVho is able to decide that dwelleth vvith mortall flesh how farre the counsell of the Lord goeth in ordering and disposing sinfull actions This I am bolde to say because I am loath to leade you farther into a bottomeles sea than where the lambe may wade without danger of miscarying and if there be ought behinde which is not opened vnto you let this bee your comforte Deus revelabit GOD will one daie reveale it but in this present question there is an errour I suppose in two extremities either to thinke that God is the authour of sinne which sensuall and phantasticke Libertines rubbing their filthinesse vpon his puritie haue imputed vnto him or that GOD doeth only but suffer and permitte sinne sitting in heaven to beholde the stratagemes of the vvicked vvithout intermedling as if his Godhead were bounde like Sampsons armes halfe of his power and liberty restrained a greater parte of the world and the manners thereof running vpon wheeles and the cursed children of Beliall hasting like dromedaries to fullfill the lustes of their owne godlesse heartes vvithout the gouernment and moderation of the highest Lorde Either of these opinions mee thinkes denyeth the Godhead For howsoever in wordes both may admitte it they deny it in opinion They receaue it at the gates and exclude it at the posterne The one destroyeth the iustice goodnesse of the deity in that they charge GOD to bee the authour of sinne the other his omnipotency and providence in that they bereave him of a greate part of his businesse The latter of these two positions that God doeth permit sinne is sounde and catholike enough if more bee added vnto it for God doeth more than permit the former is filled to the brimme with most monstrous impiety If the devilles in hell may bee hearde to speake for themselues and against God what coulde they say to deprave him more than this Indeede wee haue sinned and forsaken our faith but God caused vs It is a most damnable and reprobate thought that any vessell of clay shoulde so conceaue of his former who in the creation of all thinges made al things good and past not a vvorke from his fingers without the approbation of his most prudent iudgment Beholde it was good very good God saw it Aske but the maisters of humane wisedome they will enforme you in this behalfe 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 God by no meanes is vniust but as righteous as possible maybe Seneca asketh the cause why the Gods doe good hee aunswereth their nature is the cause They can neither take nor doe wronge they neither giue nor haue mischiefe in them You haue the same doctrine Iames 1. Let no man when he is tempted say that he is tempted by God for God is not tempted with evill and
LECTVRE Chap. 1. ver 15. So they tooke vp Ionas and cast him into the sea and the sea ceased form her raging ver 16. Then the men feared the Lord c. IN the former verse was the dedication of the sacrifice wherein they sanctified themselves by praier cōmended their action to Gods good favor in this is the offering of the sacrifice before the attēpting whereof being their finall doome animadversiō vpō the life of Ionas a iudgement without redemptiō they observe the charitablest wariest principle in exercising discipline that may be helde that is not to trie an extremity till they haue tried all meanes and then if the wounde bee vncurable and past hope to apply the fire or the sword to it They dealte with Ionas in this course as a skilfull surgian with his patient a parte of whose body being putrified and eating on by degrees threatneth the losse of the whole if it be not staied as the transgression of Ionas being but a member in the ship went forwarde like a canker and was at hande to haue invaded the whole company The professour wil first enquire the cause of the maladie how commeth it what hath thy diet thine exercise beene as these aske Ionas vvhat haste thou done what is thine occupation c. and when hee is answered by his patient I haue eaten and dranke intemperately exceeded the strength of my bodie incontinentlie lived as Ionas reported how farre hee had disobeyed perhappes hee may chide him as these chide Ionas Why haste thou done this a man of thy yeares education discretion as these implie to Ionas a man of thy knowledge calling and commission yet he wil do more than expostulate for that were to afflict the afflicted and to heape griefe vpon griefe hee will advise with the patient himselfe as these with Ionas vvho best knoweth the state of his body as Ionas the counselles of God What shall wee doe vnto thee And though he bee aunswered there is no helpe but one mine arme must be cut or my legge sawed of and then the rest of my body may be saved as Ionas answered Cast me into the sea and the sea shall bee calme vnto you yet hee will prooue his skill otherwise as they their endevours by rowing to saue the ioint if possibly it may be done But when there is no other helpe the sore retayning his anger as the sea her impatience both fretting on still and crying for a desperate remedie then will the one vse his corrosiues and sharpest instrumentes commending the successe of the cure vnto God as these after praier tooke vp Ionas and cast him foorth In the two next verses ensuing vvee may obserue 1. their proceeding as it were by steppes to the action They tooke vp Ionas 2. the accomplishment thereof They cast him into sea 3. the event The sea ceased from her raging 4. the demeanour of the mariners after their release both in their inwarde affection Then they feared the Lord exceedingly in the open testification thereof 1. by sacrifices witnesses of their present thankfulnes and 2. vowes pledges and earnests of their duty to come Eleazar an ancient interpreter of the Bible thinketh that the sentence is heere perfited They tooke vp Ionas and by a period or full pointe severed from that vvhich followeth They cast him into the sea Therevpon he collecteth that the Mariners assaied fiue experimēts to acquit themselues from danger 1. The private invocation of everie man vpon his owne God 2. the throwing forth of their wares 3. their casting of lottes 4. their common supplication 5. their letting downe of Ionas into the sea vp to the necke and pulling him backe againe that it might appeare vnto them that Ionas was the Man whome the sea desired because whilst his body was in the waters the sea stood when taken backe it boiled againe There is no warrant in my text for this opinion therefore I charge you not with it For as there is no reason to loose one worde of the writings of God not the least fragment of the broken meate so on the other side to adde vnto them is an iniurie and a plague will follow it Onely this I obserue as the complement of all their former humanity specified in many particulars before that though they coulde not cast him foorth but they must first take him vp amongst them yet seeing the history might haue concluded both in one the latter implying the former and rather doth it by noting the order and distinction of two sundry actions and by making a space betweene thē First they tooke him vp c. then they cast him forth it argueth a treatable deliberate gentle proceeding in thē that that which they did they did by leasure and without violent or turbulent invasiō Hierome with others cōment vpō the wordes Tulerunt non arripuerunt nō invaserūt They tooke him they haled him not they caught him not vp in a rage they set not hastily vpon him but bare him in their armes as it were with honour due estimatiō Because it was the funerals and exequies of a prophet of the Lorde their last service vnto him they did it with reverence And in trueth there needed no invasion or force to be vsed against him Hee was brought to his end tanquā ovis which was the Embleme of the sonne of God as a lambe that is dumbe before the shearer so opened hee not his mouth Tulerunt non repugnantem They tooke him without resistance For what should resistance haue done Ducunt volentem fata nolentem traehunt I will not say The destinies as the Poet doth but the will and power of God for these are the right destinies and he that so vnderstandeth them with Saint Augustine Teneat sententiam corriga◠linguam Let him keepe the opinion onely amending his tongue But the will and power of God leade him that is willing to goe and pull him that is vnwilling I never red that Moses opposed himselfe by the least thought of his heart to the ordinance of God when hee saide vnto him Beholde the daies are come that thou must die though Moses might haue lived many yeares For in the last of Deuteronomy his eies were not dimme nor his naturall force abated Rather he spake vnto the people with cheerefulnesse alacrity of hart embracing the tydings of his death I am an hundred and twenty yeares olde this day I can no more goe out and in also the Lord hath said vnto me Thou shalt not goe over this Iordan Young men amongst vs thinke they are priviledged because they are in their full strength old men though they haue a foote in the graue thinke they may be long old There is none so striken in yeares but thinketh hee may liue a year more Be we young or old if ever the message of God be sent vnto vs as to Ezechias Put thy house in order dispatch thy worldly affaires
as neither counsell nor strength could deliver Ionas so neither counsel nor strēgth can deliver vs as it was the wil of God to drown Ionas so it is the will of God some way or other to dissolue vs whether the time is limited within 10. or 100. or 1000. yeares there is no defence against the hād of the grave the very remēbrance hereof would be as cōfortable and as fortunate a staffe vnto vs to walke the pilgrimage of our few evil daies as the staffe that Iacob had to go over Iordā with O looke vnto your end as the wise men looked vnto the star which stood over Bethlehē it shal happily guide you to heaven as that guided thē to Bethlehē where the king of the Iews now sitteth reigneth at his fathers right hād it shal lead you frō the East to the West as that led them frō the rising of the sun I meane the state and time where your life begā to the going down of the same But it is a death vnto vs to remēber death I will say with the son of Sirach whilst wee are able but to receive meat whilst ther is any strēgth livelihood in vs but appetite to our food it is a death to remēber death though we dwel in ruinous rottē houses built vpōn sand ashes which the wind raine of infinite daily casualties shake about our eares yet we walke in this brittle earthēhouse as Nabuchodonosor in his galleries and aske Is not this greate Babell Is not this my house a strong house is not my body in good plight haue I not bloud in my veines fatnesse in my bones health in my iointes am I not likelye to liue these many yeares and see the succession of my sonnes and nephewes what will bee the ende of all this Ducunt in bonis dies sues in puncto descendunt in infernum They passe their daies with pleasure and in an instant of time goe downe into hell Therefore they are deceived which thinke it an easie matter speedily to returne vnto God when they haue long beene straying from him that are gone with the prodigall childe in longin quam regionem into a farre countrey farre from the thought of death and consequently farre from the feare of God yet promise themselues a quicke returne againe Doe they not know that it will aske as long a time if not a longer to finde God as to loose God Ioseph and Mary left their sonne at Ierusalem and went but one daies iourney from him but they sought vp and down three whole daies before they coulde finde him these goinge from the wayes of the Lorde a iourney of fortie or fifty yeares hope in a moment of time to recover his mercies I woulde never wish so desperate an adventure to bee made by any man that the sinnes of his soule and the ende of his life shoulde come so neare togither as the trespasse of Ionas and his casting forth For thinke with your selues how feareful his thoughts were being at the best to be rockte tost to and fro in a dangerfull shippe the bones whereof aked with the violence of every surge that assayled it the anchors cables and rudders either throwne away or torne in pieces having more friendship profered him than he had happe to make vse of at length to bee cast into the sea a mercilesse and vnplacable sea roaring for the life and carkase of Ionas more than ever the lion roared for his pray the bottome whereof seemed as low vnto him as the bottomlesse destruction and no hope lefte to escape either by shippe boate or by a broken peece of boord or to bee cast to lande and besides all these the anger of GOD burning against his sinnes like a whole river of brimstone This is the case of vs all in any extreme and peremptorie sickenesse or to speake more largely in the whole course of our liues for our liues are nothinge but vncertainety as Ezechias sange in his songe From day to night thou wilt make an ende of mee We are tumbled and tossed in a vessell as fraile as the ship was which every streame of calamity is readie to breake in shivers where neither anchor nor rudder is lefte neither heade nor hande nor stomacke is in case to giue vs comforte where though wee haue the kindenesse of wife and friendes the duety of children the advise and paines of the Physitians to wish vs well vvee cannot vse their service where we haue a graue before our eies greedie inexorable reaching to the gates of hell opening her mouth to receiue vs and shutting her mouth when shee hath received vs never to returne vs backe againe till the wormes and creepers of the earth haue devoured vs. There is terrour enough in these thinges to the strongest man Aristippus feareth death as well as the common people But if the anger of God for our former iniquities accompanie them thrise woe vnto vs our heavy and melancholicke cogitations will exclude al thought of mercie and our soules shall sleepe in death clogged with a burthen of sinnes which were never repented of Therefore if we desire to die the death of the righteous as Balaam wished let vs first liue the life of the righteous and as wee girde our harnesse aboute vs before the battell is ioyned so let vs thinke of repentaunce before death commeth and the ordinance of God be fully accomplished that we must be cast forth And the sea ceased from her raging As the rising of the sea vvas miraculous so it is not a lesse miracle that her impatience was so suddainely pacified Heate but a pot with thornes and withdraw the fire from it can you appease the boyling thereof at your pleasure Here the huge bodie and heape of waters raised by a mightie winde in the aire or rather the winde and breath of Gods anger what shal I saie remitteth it the force of her rage by degrees falleth it by number and measure giveth it but tokens and hope of deliverance vnto them nay at the first sinking of Ionas it standeth as vnmooueable as a stone as dead as the dead sea having fretted it selfe before with the greatest indignation and wrath that might bee conceaved as if hee that bounded the sea at the first creation Hitherto shalt thou come and no further had spoken vnto it at this time Thus long shalt thou rage no longer Let me obserue vnto you thus much from the phrase If the commotion of the sea even in the greatest and vehementest pangues thereof as greater than these coulde not be by a translation of speech for likenesse of natures be tearmed her indignation and rage then by as good a reason on the contrary side the anger of man throughlie kindled may bee matched with the commotion of the most vnquiet sea And how vnseemely a thing it is that the heart of man should reake with anie passion as that vast
and vntamed element fometh with rage your selues bee iudges I haue found this perturbation diversly compared by Chrysostome though not to the sea yet to that confused noise vvhich sea-men sometimes make when their heads are most busied with whom there is nothing but tumult much running too and fro large liberall out-cries but no place lefte for philosophy that is wisdome and reason haue no leaue to speake or to giue their iudgement By Evagrius to a shippe sent into the sea where the devill is pilote By the Poets to a troubled springe wherein if you looke and thinke to beholde the image of a man you see no part of his right composition or to that clamorous and disordered behavior which the Priests of Cybele vsed in Creete ringing their basons and playing vpon timbrels all the day long and by incomposed gestures in the open streetes shewing themselues to be nothing lesse than reasonable creatures When anger saith Lactantius is fallen into the minde of man like a sore tempest it raiseth such waues that it changeth the very state of the minde the eies waxe fiery the mouth trembleth the tongue faltereth the teeth gnash the whole countenāce is by course stayned sometimes with rednes sometimes with palenes But it vvas never more rightly fitted than by the spirite of God in this place where it is likened to the fury and rage of the sea I may speake it to the shame of men In the rage and fury of the sea there is more mercie The sea is contented and pacified when Ionas is cast forth wee in the lightest displeasure done vnto vs never satisfied with the punishmēt the damage the dishonour no nor the death of our adversaries hate the quicke pursue the dead as if wee had made that vnchristian and heathnish vow Mine anger with my body shall not die But with thy ghost my ghost shal battel trie Whereas the rule of Lactantius rather shoulde moderate vs Ira mortalium debet esse mortalis The anger of mortall men shoulde bee mortall like themselues Valerius Maximus reporteth Sylla to haue beene such a one of whome it was doubted whether himselfe or his anger were first extinguished These turbulent perturbations of anger hatred and malice as they are never without the tormente of him that vseth thē they boile his hart into brine eate the moisture out of his flesh so there is great presūptiō that the spirit of God resteth not in a soule possessed therewith When God appeared to Elias 1. King 19. lying in the caue of mount Horeb first there passed by him a mighty stronge winde which rent the moūtaines tare the rocks but the Lord was not in the winde after the winde came an earth-quake but the Lord was not in the earth-quake after the earth-quake came fire but the Lord was not in the fire after the fire came a still soft voice therein the Lord was spake Elias came forth and answered Thinke with your selves that these winds earth-quakes fires are our boisterous affectiōs which the presence favour of God avoideth better beseeming bruite beastes in whōe there is no vnderstanding the vnsensible sea which God hath restrained with bars dores thē the childrē of mē endued with reasō Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly I noted in this verse the behaviour of the marriners towardes God occasioned by the event that fell out Surely the rightest vse of Gods mighty wonders is when we take them for wonders when we tremble at the sight of them feare that almighty God whose hands have wrought them Such are the acclamations in the Psalmes This is the Lords doing and it is marveilous in our eies The gracious Lorde hath made his wonderfull workes to be had in remembrance O Lord how gracious are thy workes and thy thoughtes are very deepe an vnwise man knoweth it not and a foole doth not vnder stand this God doth not miracula propter miracula miracles for their owne sakes but for ours not caring so much himselfe to do them as that we should consider and beare them away Wherin I wil shew our negligence by a familiar example of our latest daies Samuel biddeth the people stand and see a great thing which the Lord would doe before their eies Is it not now wheate harvest I will call vnto the Lord he shall send thunder and raine that yee may perceive and see how that your wickednes is great which you have done in the sight of the Lord in asking a king The thunder and raine were sent and all the people feared the Lord and Samuel exceedingly Apply this scripture to your selves Is it not now wheate harvest hath not the Lord sent thunder and raine amongst you so vnseasonable a season that the fruites of the earth wherewith your fieldes were so faire before that they laughed sang mourning vpō the ground that bare them the husbādmā was ashamed sighed to himselfe to see his hope so deceaved was not every cloud in the aire a cloud of wrath vpō your fieldes to destroy your labours were yee not neere the curse of the prophecy you have sowen much bring in litle What was the reason of so suddeine an alteratiō but that our wickednesse was great as theirs was what other end of this worke but that we might say in our harts let us feare the Lorde our God which giveth us raine both early late in due season reserveth vnto vs the apointed weekes of the harvest thus the mariners applied this extraordinarie worke of God the inference of the text speaketh no lesse Then they feared The dutiful behauiour of the mariners cōsisteth 1. in their inward affection They feared ◠in outward obseruāces They sacrifised made vowes Their inward affectiō is explicated by many stances 1. By the nature and kinde of the passion They feared Others haue seene the signes and wonders of God rather to admire them than to be touched with them as it is often noted of the Iewes in the gospel when they beheld the workes of Christ they were astonished and saide amongst themselues Wee never sawe it on this wise The like was never done in Israell Thus Herod was desirous to haue seene Christ hoping that some miracle might haue beene doone by him But this was more than admiration and astonishment for they are afraide when they see the waters stilled 2. By doubling their passion which in the vse of the Hebrewe tongue doth encrease the signification Timuerunt timore They feared and feared 3. By the attribute Timore magno Their feare was not ordinarie but a greate and exceeding feare 4. By the obiect or matter of the feare They feared Iehovah If yee will learne the effects of feare when it is greate indeede where can you better learne them than at the sacking of Niniveh in the second of Nahum For there the heart melteth that
briers and thornes or if there be anie hearbes they are buried choaked with weedes that no man can see them There are a number within these walles to whome if a man woulde say I will walke in the spirit of falsehood and flatterie another while I will lie vnto you I wil leaue this sowre and vnplausible veine of reprehension cal you to the tabret and harpe and put you in minde of Sabothes and new moones and festival daies I will prophesie vnto you of wine and strong drinke oh this were a prophet fit for this people they are the wordes of Micheas But I rather say for my part as Samuell to the people of Israell God forbid that I should sinne against the Lord and cease praying for you but I will shew you the good and the right way That is He that heareth let him heare and he that leaveth of let him leave of Ezech. 3. Hee that is vnrighteous let him be more vnrighteous and he that is filthy let him be more filthy but he that is righteous let him be righteous still and he that is holy let him be holy still Revel 22. For that was the purpose of my note that as God hath continued a chaine of his graces 1. by predestinating 2. by calling 3. by iustifying 4. by glorifying vs so wee should continue a chaine of our graces towardes him that there may be grace for grace by giving all diligence to ioine vertue with faith and with vertue knowledge and with knowledge temperance not to leave ioyning the other linkes of the chaine there added till our owne bodies and soules come to be disioyned THE XXI LECTVRE Chap. 1. ver 16. Then the men feared the Lord exceedingly and offered asacrifice to the Lorde and made vowes VPon the event of their fact in casting Ionas forth I meane the stilnes of the sea I noted before the behaviour of the mariners first in their inward affection the nature wherof was fear the measure great feare the matter or obiect the Lord of hostes then in the outward declaration of their mindes partly by sacrifices in agnition of their present service partly by vowes as an obligation of duety for time to come The beginning to the rest is feare For as Lactantius wisely reasoneth without it there can be no religion That that is not feared is contemned if contemned it cannot be worshipped For which cause it commeth to passe that religion maiestie and honour must needes consist by feare For even the kingdomes of the earth would be dissolved vnlesse this proppe held them vp Therefore the zealous Lord calleth for his tribute and due belonging to his excellencie If I bee amaister where is my feare But of this heretofore The first Mercurie or messenger to publish a broade their feare is their offering of a sacrifice Which whither they presently did at the sea of the remainder of such thinges as were left vnto them or whither vpon their landing or whither their purpose and promise to offer a sacrifice were taken for a performance according to the mind of the Caldaieke paraphrast and others who interpret the wordes thus They offered a sacrifice that is they had an intent and gaue their worde to doe it or whither be meant an inward and spirituall sacrifice of praise and thankesgiving and a contrite heart as Ierome coniectureth it is vnnecessary to dispute seeing the text defineth it not Againe what were the profit of my labour to go about Sion and to tell her turrers to enter the large fielde of sacrifices and to number all the kindes of them Which either the booke of God or other authors haue put downe it were to compell the scripture when it offereth her company a mile to go twaine with me and to stretch it beyonde the line which the holye ghost hath laide forth If any desire to know the causes of sacrifices and to call them by their names let him resort to Carolus Sigonius in his Hebrewe common wealth who from the authority of Philo the Iew handleth this matter at large The materiall pointes indeed to be considered in this worship of theirs are two 1. the antiquity 2. the life soule of a sacrifice It cannot be denied but from the auncientest age of the world in al the nations wherewith it hath been replenished before there was any precept of God expresly to require such forme of devotion there hath ben offering of sacrifices as voluntary religious actes a kinde of sensible homage to testifie the power of some nature superior able to auenge it selfe of dishonour and contempt done and not vnable on the other side to regratifie them with kindenes that sought vnto it Cleo the flattering Sicilian in behalfe of Alexander the greate whome he laboured with vehment perswasions to make a God craved no more of his fellowes but exiguam thuris impensā the bestowing of a litle frankincense as an essential marke to notifie his Godhead The angell bad Manoah in the booke of Iudges when he requested him to stay the dressing of a kidde if hee purposed therewith to make a burnt offering to offer it to the Lorde where it is added immediately that Manoah knewe not that it was an angell of the Lorde a person was meant of meaner condition than to whome a sacrifice belonged Aquinas resolveth vs thus that howsoever the determinatiō of the kinds of sacrifices togither with the circumstances of persons time and place be by the positiue law yet the common receaved acknowledgement that sacrifice must be offered is by the law of nature For what reason can be given of so vniforme a consent of sacrificing in so many sundry languages and manners of men but that everye one groweth after the seede which nature hath sowed in him And therefore in effect they say with the headstrong kings in the Psalme Let vs breake the cordes of nature a sunder and cast her yoke from vs vvho as if the service of GOD vvere inventum humanum the devise of man when they coulde not availe by reason to maister them by religion thinke it as cheape an offence to contemne the maiesty of God as humane authority to deny the rightes of the godhead which they vainely imagin is but imagined as their fealty allegiance to earthly princes Tell such of the iudgments of God and the tormentes of hell you tell them a tale of Cocytus Phlegeton other fabulous inventions of licentious poets Vrdge thē with the verdicte of the scriptures you may better vrdge the history of Herodotus or Lucians true narrations A degenerate generation of men monstrously mishapen in the powers of the soule and transformed from the vse of reason whose iudgment is already past because they beleeve not or rather because they roote vp those maximes and principles of reason which the hand of nature it selfe had planted in thē I take but a little peece of
their garmeÌ„t at this time as David caught from Saul onely for a token and note them as I passe by the vvay who if they were kindely vsed should be pronounced by the priest and by the prince proclaimed the vncleanest lepers that ever sore ran vpon not onely to be excluded the host and to have their habitation alone but to be exiled the land and extermined nature it selfe which they so vnnaturally strive to adnihilate Their vsage of parricides in Rome were over favourable for theÌ„ whom they sowed into a male of lether threw into the sea that yet the water of the sea could not soke through nor other element of nature earth aire or fire approach vnto them 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Atheisme is the maine disease of the soule not onely of that private man in whome it is harboured but of the whole land wherein permitted For which opprobrious contagious disease till other remedy were found I would they might be marked the meane time that are sicke of it as the leper was that the people might be wise to eschew theÌ„ As the one had his clothes rent his head bare his lippes covered was enioyned to cry where he past I am vncleane I am vncleane so I would the other had either a rent or a writing vpon their clothes a braÌ„d in their forheades that all that behelde them might say an Atheist an Atheist 2 The second collection in offering a sacrifice is that the sensible and ceremoniall handling thereof without the inward oblation of the heart which the other doth but signifie was never approoved I might repeate the proofes hereof from the elements and beginnings of the world the sacrifices of Abel and Caine the first that ever I finde to have beene made although I make no question of Adam himselfe who nurtured his sonnes in religious discipline from thence I might come downe through all the complaintes that even the soule of the Lord grieved with abuse and mockery hath plentifully sent foorth against his people of the Iewes shewing therin that not only he refused but hartily condemned lothed abhorred their offerings and denying with pertinacy that ever hee required them whereas in trueth they were the ordinaunces of his ovvne lippes But vvhen hee ordained them hee made male and female and ioyned two in one hee created a bodie and a soule an outwarde and an inwarde parte the aspectable signe and the invisible affection for want of which latter the better of the two hee renounceth the other as that which he never apointed In the first of Esay forgetting his people to be the children of Iacob because they forgat his sacrifices to bee the sacrifices of a God whome they rather vsed like a skar-crow in the garden of cucumbers than the Lord of knowledge hee calleth them princes of Sodome and people of Gomorah asking them in iealousie as hote as fire What haue I to doe with the multitude of your sacrifices I am full of burnt offeringes of rammes and the fattte of fedde beastes I desire not the bloude of bullockes nor of lambes nor of goates When you come to appeare before mee Who required it at his handes Bringe no more oblations in vaine incense is an abhomination vnto mee I cannot suffer your newe moones and Sabbaths my soule hateth your apointed feastes they are a burthen vnto mee and I am weary to beare them Of the outwarde countenance and lineaments of their sacrificing you heare more than enough Rammes and fed beastes bullockes lambes and goates incense sabbathes new moones festivall daies solemne assemblies togither with stretching out the handes and making of many praiers But I may say that as the minde of a man is the man so the minde and intention of the sacrifice is the sacrifice which the searcher of the hart reines looking for finding a carkeise of religioÌ„ without a quickening spirit protesteth that he hath nothing to doe with them that he is full and overfull that they are an hatred burthen abomination vnto him If they will redeeme his grace with a sweete smelling sacrifice they must cease to doe evill and learne to doe well seeke iudgement relieue the oppressed With such like The beginning ending of the prophecie is in one tune For afterwardes it is denounced in the name of the Lord hee that killeth a bullocke is as if hee slew a man hee that sacrificeth a sheepe as if he â—atte of a dogges necke hee that offereth an oblation as if hee offered swines bloud hee that remembreth incense as if hee blessed an idoll the reason of this misconstrued devotion of theirs is They haue chosen their owne waies and their soule which shoulde haue beene the principal agent delighteth in their abominations The correction of that errour and the erection both of the temple the sacrifices which the Lord chooseth are in the next wordes before To him will I looke even to him that is poore and of a contrite spirit and trembleth at my words If this wine be wanting to those bottles this substaÌ„ce to those shadowes we shall go with our bullockes and sheepe as it is in Osee to seeke the Lord but shall not finde him because we goe with these alone Nay these wee may leaue behinde vs as vnprofitable carriage in coÌ„parison of the others so we want not those I will not reprooue thee saith God for thy sacrifices and because of thy burnt offerings that they are not commonly before mee I will take no bullocke out of thine house nor goates out of thy foldes for all the cattell of the forrest are mine and the beastes vpon a thousande mountaines I knowe all the fowles vpon the hilles and all the wilde beastes of the field are mine If I be hungry I will not tell thee for the world is mine and all that therein is Thinkest thou that I will eate the flesh of bulles or drinke the bloude of goates Thus the externall parte and as it were the letter of the sacrifice is not much lesse than cancelled and abrogated that the spririt may take place offer vnto God praise and paie thy vowes to the most high and call vpon mee in the daie of trouble so will I deliver thee and thou shalt glorifie mee This was it that Samuel aunswered Saul when he pretended the saving of oxen and sheepe and the best of the spoile to offer to the Lorde in Gilgal hath the Lorde as greate pleasure in burnt offerings sacrifices as wheÌ„ his voice is obeied to obey iâ— better thaÌ„ sacrifice and to harken is better than the fatte of rammes This did our Saviour implie to the Scribes and Phaâ—ises who did so invvardlye sticke to the outwarde keeping of the Sabbath Go learn what this meaneth I will haue mercie and not sacrifice This did the learned Scribe vvhose praise is in the gospell that hee aunswered discreetely and was not farre from the kingdome of GOD
two singular and almost despaired deliverances first of their bodies from a raging and roaring sea a benefite not to be contemned for even the Apostles of Christâ— cried in the like kind of distresse vpon the waters helpe Lorde wee perish secondlye of their soules from that idolatrous blindnes wherein they were drowned and stifled a destruction equall to the former and indeed far exceeding The horrour of this destruction was never more faithfully laid out in colours than in the eighth of Amos. Where after repetition of sorrowes enough if they were not burnt with hote irons past sense as that the songes of the teÌ„ple shoulde be turned into howlinges feastes into mourning laughter into lamentation that there should be many dead bodies in every place even the nuÌ„ber so great that they should cast them forth in silence without obsequies the sunne going downe at noone and the earth darkened in the cleare day that is their greatest woe in the greatest prosperity yet he threatneth a scourge beyoÌ„d al these Behold saith the Lord I have not yet made your eies dazell nor your eares tingle with my iudgements though your eies have beheld sufficient misery to make them faile yet behold more The daies come I give you warning of vnhappier times the plagues you have endured already are but the beginnings of sorrow the daies come that I will send a famine in the land if the mouth of the Lord had here stayed famem immittam I will send a famine had it not sufficed Can a greater crosse thinke you be imagined than wheÌ„ a wofull mother of her wofull children shall be driven to say As the Lorde liveth I have but a little meale left in a barrell and a little oile in a cruise and beholde I am gathering two stickes to go in and dresse it for me and my sonne that wee may eate and die and much rather if it come to that extremity that an other mother felt when shee cried vnto the king Helpe my Lord O King This woman saide vnto mee give thy sonne that wee may eate him to day and wee will eate my sonne to morrowe so we sodde my sonne and did eate him c. yet hee addeth to the former by a correction not a famine of bread nor a thirst of water but of hearing the word of God and they shall wonder not as the sonnes of Iacob who went but out of Israell into Egypt but from sea to sea and from the North to the East shall they runne to and fro to seeke the worde of the Lorde and shall not finde it This was the case of these men before a prophet spake vnto them and the wonders of the lawe were shewed amoÌ„gst them And this was the case of our countrey when either it fared with vs as with the church of Ierusalem signa non videmus non est ampliùs propheta wee see no tokens there is no prophet lefte or if we had prophets they were such as Ezechiell nameth they saw vanities and divined lies and the booke of the law of the Lorde though it were not hid in a corner as in the raigne of Iosias nor cut with a penknife and cast into the fire as in the daies of Iehoiakim yet the comfortable vse of it was interdicted the people of God vvhen either they could not reade because it was sealed vp in an vnknowne tongue or vnder the paine of a curse they might not and such as hungred and thirsted after the righteousnes of Iesus Christ were driven into Germany and other countries of Europe to enquire after it But blessed be the Lord God of Israell for hee hath long since visited and redeemed vs his people If our many deliverances besides either by sea from the invasion of the grande pirate of Christendome or from other rebellions and conspiracies by land had beene in nuÌ„mber as the dust of our grounde this one deliverance of our soules froÌ„ the kingdome and power of darkenesse the very shadowe and borders of death wherein we sate before the sending of prophets amongst vs to prophecie right things to preach the acceptable yeare of the Lord and the tidings of salvation had far surpassed them Let vs therfore with these mariners sing a song of thanksgiving not onely with our spirites My soule blesse thou the Lorde and all that is within mee praise his holy name but with sacrifices and vowes also as audible sermons and proclamations to the world let vs make it knowne that great is the mercy of Iehovah to our little nation THE XXII LECTVRE The last verse of the 1. Chap. Or after some the first of the second Now the Lorde had prepared a great fish to swallow vp Ionas and Ionas was in the bellye of the fishe three daies and three nightes WEE are now come to the second section of the prophesie wherin the mercy of God towardes Ionas is illustrated It beginneth at my text and parteth it selfe into three members 1. The absorption or buriall 2. the song 3. the delivery of the Prophet Isiodore in three wordes summeth the contentes of it Cetus obiectum voratum orantem revomuit The whale cast vp Ionas first cast forth then devoured afterwards making his moue to God Ionas is swallowed in this present sentence The iustice and mercy of God runne togither in this history as those that runne for the maisterie in a race And it is harde a long time for Ionas to discerne whither his iustice will overcome his mercie or his mercy triumph over iustice They labour in contention as the twinnes in Rebecca's wombe And although Esau bee first borne red and hairy all over like a rough garment yet Iacob holdeth him by the heele and is not farre behinde him I meane though the iudgment of God against Ionas bearing a rigorous and bloudy countenance and satiate with nothing in likelyhode but his death that most straÌ„ge vnaccustomed seemeth to have the first place yet mercy speedeth her selfe to the rescue and in the end is fulfilled that which God prophecied of the other paire The elder shall serue the yonger For when iustice had her course and borne the preeminence a greate space mercy at lengh putteth in and getteth the vpper hande To vs that haue seene and perused the historie who haue as it were the table of it before our eies and know both the first and the last of it it is apparant that I say that although he were tossed in the ship cast forth into the sea deuoured yet God had a purpose prevised herein to worke the glorie of his name the others miraculous preservation But Ionas himselfe who all the while was the patient and set as a marke for the arrowes of heavenlye displeasure to be spent at and knew no more what the end would be than a child his right hand from the left what could he thâ—â—ke but that heaven and earth land and sea life and death all 〈◊〉
haue saved Ionas Put from the succor of the ship froÌ„ the frieÌ„dship of his associats having no rocke to cleaue vnto far from the shore and neither able perhaps nor desirous to escape by swimming yeelding himselfe to death and to a living graue with as mortified an affection as if lumps of lead had been cast down yet God had prepared a meanes to preserue the life of Ionas EveÌ„ the bowels of a cruel fish are as a chariot vnto him to beare him in safety through those vnsearchable depthes O how many wonders in howâ— few wordes how many riddles and darke speeches to the reason of man he will scarselie beleeue when they shall be tolde vnto him 1. That so huge a fish shoulde bee so ready to answere at the call of the Lorde to saue his prophet 2. So able to devour a man at a morsel without comminutioÌ„ or bruise offered to any one bone of his 3. That a man could liue the space of 3. daies and nights in a fishes belly But so it was The Lorde doeth but vse a preamble to finish his worke intended He suffereth not the ship to carry him forth-right to the city but so ordereth the matter that the Mariners deliver him to the sea the sea to the whale the whale to the Lorde and the Lorde to Niniveh That we may learne thereby when our sinnes hange fast vpon vs the harbour of a warme shippe cannot bee beneficiall but when wee haue shaken them of the sea shall make a truce and the vngentlest beastes bee in league with vs. The demaunde of the earthlie man in these vnprobable workes hath ever beene 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 how can this bee Though an angell from heaven shall tell Sarah of a sonne after hath ceased to bee with her after the manner of women shee will 〈◊〉 within her selfe and saie What after I am waxen olde and my Lord 〈◊〉 But what saith the Angell vnto her Shall any thing bee harde to the â—orde VVhen the children of Israell wanted flesh to eate and cryed in the eares of the Lorde quis dabit VVho shall giue vs flesh to eate God promised it for a moneth togither vntil it should come out of their nostrels And Moses saide sixe hundreth thousande footemen are there among the people of whom I am and thou saiest I will giue them flesh to eate a moneth long Shall the sheepe and the beeves be slaine for them to finde them either shall all the fish of the sea bee gathered togither for them to suffice them But the Lorde aunswered him is the Lords hand shortened Thou shalt see now whether my word shall come to passe vnto thee or no. Elizeus prophecied in that wofull famine of Samaria when they bought an Asses head and Doues dunge at an vnreasonable rate To morrowe by this time a measure of fine flowre shall bee solde for a shekell c. Then a prince on whose hande the king leaned aunswered the man of GOD Though the Lorde woulde make windowes in heaven can this thinge come to passe the prophet aunswered him Beholde thou shalt see it with thine eies but shalt not eate thereof Saint Augustine in his thirde epistle to Volvsian and elsewhere giveth the rules to satisfie these distrustfull reasonings Wee must graunte that GOD is able to doe some thinge vvhich wee are not able to finde out in such works the whole reason of the doing is the power of the doer It is GOD that hath done them Consider the authour and all doubts will cease Therefore if Marie receiving a message of vnexpected vnwonted conception shal say at the first how shall this thing be yet when the angell shal say vnto her that it is the worke of the holy ghost and the might of the most high that her coâ—zen Elizabeth hath also conceived in her olde age though shee had purchased the name of barren by her barrennesse because with God saith the angell nothing is vnpossible then let Marie lay her hande vpon her heart and saie Beholde the hand-maide of the Lorde that is without further disceptation I submit my selfe to the power of God But if that former reason of his all-sufficient might bee not of strength enough to resolue either pagans abroade or atheistes at home touching the likelihoode and probability of such vnlikely actes but the innocencie of the sacred Scriptures wherein they are written must be arraigned and condemned by their carnall reason and our whole religion derided because wee iustifie them I will say no more vnto them but as Augustine doth in his bookes of the city of God Quicquid mirabile fit in hoc mundo profectò minus est quà m totus hic mundus The very creation of the worlde which being the booke of nature they runne and read and can deny no part of it though they deny depraue the booke of scripture sheweth them a greater miracle in the world it selfe than whatsoever in these or the like singularities seemeth most incredible A great fish Some of the rabbines thinke that the fish was created at that moment when Ionas was to be swallowed Others that he had lasted from the sixt day of the world A thirde sorte that it was a whale that first devoured Ionas that afterwardes the Lord beckened vnto him then hee cast him into the mouth of a female which was full of yong where being streightned of his wonted roume he fel to praier Fabulous inveÌ„tions fruit according to the trees that bare it Whither tâ—e fish were created at that instaÌ„t or before sooner or later I list not enquire Neither will I further engage my self herein thaÌ„ the spirit of God giveth me direction Only that which the prophet setteth downe in 2. words by a circumlocution a great fish it shall not be amisse to note that the evaÌ„gelists abridge name more distinctly in one shewing the kinde of the fish therefore Matthew calleth it the belly of a whale So do the 70. interpretours from whom it is not vnlikely the expositour of Matthew tooke his warrant I never found any mentioÌ„ of this goodly creâ—ture but the wisdoÌ„e of God the creator was willing to commeÌ„d it in some sort In the first of Genes God saide Let the waters bring forth in abundance every creeping thing that hath the soule of life howbeit in all that abundaunce there is nothing specified but the whale as being the prince of the rest and to vse the speach of Iob the king of all the children of pride vvherein the workemanshippe of the maker is most admired for so it is saide Then God created the whales and not singlie vvhales but vvith the same additament that this prophet vseth the greate vvhales So doth the Poet tearme them also immania caete the huge vvhales as being the stateliest creature that mooveth in the waters Likewise in the Psalme The earth is full of thy riches so is the
aliue through ranges and armies of teeth on both sides without the collision or crushing of any limme in his body and entereth the streights of his throate where he had greater reason to cry thaÌ„ the childreÌ„ in the prophet the place is to narrow for me and liveth in the entralles of the fish a prison or caue of extreame darkenesse where he found nothing but horror and stinch and loathsome excrementes What shall we say herevnto but as Ierome did vpon the place where there was nothing looked for but death there was a custodie in a double sense first to imprison and yet withall to preserue Ionas Thus farre you have hearde first that a fish and for his exornation great fish secondly vvas prepared thirdly by the Lorde fourthly to swallow vp his prophet Now lastly if you will learne what tidings of Ionas after his entring in the monsters mawe it is published in the nexte wordes And Ionas was in the belly of the fish three daies and three nightes Therein I distinguish these particularities First the person Ionas not the bodye of Ionas forsaken of the soule as the bodye of Christ lay in the graue but the whole and entire person of Ionas compounded of bodye and soule livinge mooving feeling meditating not ground with the teeth not digested in the stomake not converted into the substaunce of the fish and neither vitall nor integrall part diminished in Ionas Secondly the place vvhere he was in the remotest and lowest partes the bovvelles of the fish as Ieremy was in the bottome of the dungeon where there vvas no water where what nutriment he had amiddest those purgamentes superfluities the Lorde knoweth but man liveth not by breade alone or what respiration and breathing being out of his elemente amongst those stiflinge evaporations vvhich the bellye of the whale reaked forth but wee may as truely saye man liveth not by breath alone Thirdly the time hovve long hee continued there three daies three nightes when if the course of nature were examined it is not possible to bee conceived that a man coulde liue so one moment of time and his spirit not be strangled within him Physitians giue advise that such as are troubled with apoplexies falling sicknesses or the like diseases should not be buried till the expiration of 72. howres that is three daies and three nightes In which space of time they say the humours begin to stop giue over their motion by reason the moone hath gone through a signe the more in the Zodiake For this cause it was that our Saviour vndertooke not the raisinge of Lazarus from the dead till hee had lien 4. daies in the graue least the Iewes might haue slaundered the miracle if hee had done it in hast and saide that Lazarus had but swooned The like he experienced in himselfe besides the opening of his heart that if falshoode woulde open her mouth into slaunder it might bee her greater sin because he was fully dead Who would ever haue supposed that Ionas fulfilling this time in so deadly and pestilent a graue shoulde have revived againe But the foundation of the Lord standeth sure and this sentence hee hath vvritten for the generations to come My strength is perâ—ited in infirmity vvhen the daunger is most felt then is my helping arme most welcome We on the one side vvhen our case seemeth distresseful are very importunate with God crying vpoÌ„ him for help It is time that the Lord haue mercy vpon Sion yea the time is come if in the instant he answer not our cry we are ready to reply against him The time is past and our hope cleane withered But he sitteth aboue in his provident watch-towre who is far wiser than men thinketh with himselfe you are deceived the time is not yet come They meete the ruler of the synagogue in the 5. of Marke tell him thy daughter is deade why diseasest thou thy maister any further Assoone as Iesus hearde that vvorde a word that he lingred and waited for he said vnto the ruler of the Synagogue be not afraid onely beleeue And as Alexander the great solaced and cheered himselfe with the greatnes of his perill in India when he was to fight both with men and beasts their huge Elephantes at length I see a daunger aunswerable to my minde so fareth it with our absolute true monarch of the world who hath a bridle for the lippes of every disease and an hooke for the nostrels of death to turne them backe the same vvay they came it is the ioy of his hart to protract the time a while till he seeth the heigth maturity of the daunger that so he may get him the more honour Martha telleth him in the 11. of Iohn when her brother had beene long dead lien in the graue till he stanke past hope of recovery Lorde if thou hadst beene here my brother had not beene dead And what if absent was he not the same God Yet he told his disciples not long before Lazarus is deade and I am gladde for your sakes that I vvas not there that you mighte beleeue You see the difference Martha is sory and Christ is glad that he was not rhere Martha thinketh the cure commeth to late and Christ thinketh the sore was never ripe till nowe In the booke of Exodus when Israel had pitched their tents by the red sea Pharaoh and host marching apace and ready to surprise them they vvere sore afraide and cryed vnto the Lord and murmured against Moses hast thou brought vs to die in the wildernesse because there were no graues in Egypt wherefore hast thou served vs thus to carrie vs out of Egypt c. Moses the meekest man vpon the earth quieted them thus Feare yee not stande still and beholde the salvation of the Lorde which he will shew to you this day For the Egyptians whome yee haue seene this day yee shall never see them againe The Lorde shall fight for you therefore hold you your peace Neither did Moses feed them with winde prophecy the surmises of his owne braine for the Lorde made it good as followeth in the next verse vvherefore cryest thou vnto mee speake vnto the children of Israell that they goe forwarde Thus when the wounde was most desperate they might haue pledged even their soules vpoÌ„ it we cannot escape when their legges trembled vnder them that they could not stand still their hearts fainted that they could not hope the waters roring before their face the wheels of the enimy ratling behinde their backs they are willed to stand still not on their legges alone but in their disturbed passions to settle their shivering spirites to pacifie their vnquiet tongues and to go forwardes though every step they trode seemed to beare them into the mouth of death The state of the daunger you see Ionas is in the belly of the fish three daies and three nightes Long enough to haue
for mee Charitie which is the thirde sister saith I runne and endevour to attaine vnto them Before he had saide that there was a neare affinitie betweene faith and hope For that which the one beleeveth shall bee the other beginneth to hope shall bee for her The prophet breaketh not the order of these two vertues first he beleeveth then hopeth For faith is the substance of thinges hoped for and no more can a man hope after that which he beleeveth not then a painter paint in the aire or vpon emptines Augustine in his enchiridion to Laurentius alleadgeth many differences betwixt faith and hope Namely these that more is beleeved then is hoped for as the paines of hell but nothing is hoped vvhich is not beleeved Againe faith apprehendeth both good and evill rewarde and punishmente thinges past thinges present and thinges to come as the death of Christ for the first for the seconde his sitting at the righte hande of God for the last his comming to iudgement Moreover faith hath to do in matters both concerning our selues and others for we also beleeue that that appertaineth to Angels But hope is the expectatioÌ„ only of good things such as are to come are proper to our selues So faith is evermore ampler then hope and hope is in a maner a contracted abridged faith Clem. Alex. faith that hope is the bloud of faith And wheÌ„ hope hath given vp the ghost it is as if the bloud of faith had flowed out all her vitall power were exhausted The devils both know obey God Iob 1. they acknowledge his son Iesus Christ not only in the substance of his deity to be the son of God but in his office of mediation Thou art that Christ Marc. 1. and they professe publish that knowledge of theirs for Christ rebuketh them for it Luc. 4. neither are they ignoraÌ„t of his coÌ„mission that al power is granted vnto him both in heaven earth And that he is ordained the iudge of the quicke the dead Therfore they aske why art thou come to vex vs before the time Math. 8. Yea they fall downe and worship him Mark 5. they feare treÌ„ble and beleeue 2. Iac. and they pray vnto him For the Legion instantlie besought him 4. Mark not to send them away out of the coasts of the Gadarenâ— â—o there is in the devils you see 1. knowledge and that very deepe and profound 2. confession 3. worship 4. feare 5. beliefe 6. praier and supplication what want they that which if christians waÌ„t they haue a name that they liue but indeed are dead They want a particular confident faith the application of mercy which is the life of Christians and the defect whereof maketh devils For not to beleeue assuredly that God is rich in mercy to all that call vpon him in faithfulnes and truth to haue his loving kindnes in iealousie to distrust his promises which are yea and Amen to falsifie his word more stable theÌ„ the pillers of the earth to make him a lier what in vs lyeth to evacuate the testimony of his spirit speaking to our spirites that we are the sons of God as it were to pull off the seale whereby wee are sealed against the redemption of the iust is that damnable desperate infidelity which turneth men into devils and of the houshold of faith maketh them a family for the prince of darknes And not to speake more of this beautiful damsell as highly favoured of the king of kings as ever was Esther of the king of the Medes Persians not coÌ„tenting her selfe to stay without at the gate but with an huÌ„ble presumptioÌ„ approaching into the inner court finding the goldeÌ„ scepter of favor ever ready to be held out vnto her be ye assured in your soules and write it in the tables of your harts with the point of a Diamond with the perswasioÌ„ of Gods holy spirit that the writings of adversaries may never raze it out againe that if you erre not in the nature of a true faith if you take not shadowes of mountaines for men a fansie and shadow of faith for the body it selfe if it be sound substaÌ„tial rightly informed properly qualified you may say vnto it goe in peace it shall walke through life death without controlement If it finde angels principalities powers things present things to come any other creature in the world stopping her passage rebuking her forwardnes she shal cleare her way notwithstanding with the streÌ„gth of her hope and climbe into the presence of her God where if shee craue to sit at his right or left hand in his everlasting kingdome her suite shall be graunted He praied vnto the Lord his God out of the belly of the fish where he had as litle coÌ„fort of life as blind Tobias had what ioy can I haue said he that sit in darknes and behold not the light of heaven Ionas might truly say in a double sense de profundis clamavi abyssus abyssuÌ„ invocat out of the deepe haue I cried one depth calleth vpon an other who lay both in the bottome of a moÌ„ster in the lowest gulfe of afflictioÌ„ that ever soule was plunged in Might he haue had the liberty of the sons of God to haue entred into the house of the Lord the house of praier as the prophet calleth it the place where his honor dwelt there to haue huÌ„bled himselfe powred out his soule to him that made it I woulde lesse haue marvailed to heare this duty performed Anna the daughter of Phanuell hath spent her daies in the temple of God serving the Lord with fastings and praiers night and daie and shee departed not thence David desired but one thing of the Lorde and that he would require that he might dwell in the house of the Lord all the daies of his life to beholde the beautie of the Lord and to visite his temple But in the belly of the fish there was no beauty to invite vnto devotion in this darkesome and deserte house no company or fellowshippe to draw him on Ibimus in domum domini Come vvee will goe into the house of Lord Our feete shall stande in thy gates O Ierusalem No not so much as swallowes and sparrowes which David envied because they had leaue to build their nestes by the altars of God yea if vultures and shrich-owles had but dwelte thereby it had beene some comforte Yet in this desolate and solitary house voider of haunte then the ransackte sanctuary of Ierusalem the pathes wherof foxes for want of passengers ran vp downe vpon wherin he lay as forlorne in a maÌ„ner as he that made his abode amongst the tombes of the dead and frequented the company neither of men nor beasts even in this hatefull cage of filth vncleannes he setteth himselfe on worke humbling his soule in praier lower then his body was humbled in the water talking
the angels of GOD. I woulde spend it wholy in the commendation of this graue and serious sentence VVherefore shoulde I feare in the evill dayes when iniquirie shall compasse mee aboute as at mine heeles vvhen it shall presse and vrge me so closely with the iudgementes of God that I am alwaies in daunger to be supplanted nowe vvhat are the pillers of this heavenly security can riches or wisedome or houses and landes after our names or honour sustaine vs these are but rotten foundations to builde eternity vpon But GOD shall deliver my soule from the power of the grave for hee will receive mee I drawe to an ende GOD is faithfull that hath promised heaven and earth shall passe avvay but not a iote of his blessed worde As the hilles vvere about Ierusalem and as these floudes vvere aboute Ionas so is the LORDE aboute all those that feare him Hee hath made a decree in heaven it belongeth to the nevve testamente confirmed by the death of the testatour witnessed by three in heaven and as many in earth and never shall it be altered That at what time soever a sinner whatsoever shall repent him of his wickednes whatsoever from the bottome of his hearte the Lorde will forgive and forget it O heaven before heaven And the contrarye perswasions hell before hell damnation before the time I say againe if hee repent of his wickednesse it is not the misery of this wretched life nor terrour of conscience nor malice of foes let them bee men or devilles let them bee seven in one a legion in another all the principalities and powers of darkenesse in the thirde that shall hinder forgivenesse Beholde the lambe of GOD you that are lions in your house as the proverbe speaketh worst towardes your selves you that are ready to teare and devoure your owne soules with griefe and feare of hearte beholde the Lambe of GOD that taketh avvy the sinnes of the worlde Hath his death put sense into rockes and stones and can it not perswade you shall that bloud of the lambe cleanse you from your guiltinesse and will you in a madde and impatient moode throwe your bloud into the aire with Iulian or spill it vpon the grounde with Saul or sacrifice it vpon an alder with Iudas and not vse the medicine that shoulde ease their maladies shall hee open heaven and will you shutte it hee naile the writings to his crosse and you renue them hee pull you from the fire and you runne into it againe Is this his thankes this the recompence of his labours this the wages yee give him for bearing the heate and burthen of the day in your persons this the harvest for the seede hee sowed in teares this the wine hee shall drinke for treading the wine-presse in steede of a cuppe of salvation which you ought to take in your handes and call vpon the name of the LORD that is as he hath drunke vnto you in a bitter cuppe of passion so you shoulde pledge him in a plesant draught of thanksgiving will you take a cup of death and desperation blaspheme his name evacuate his crosse treade the bloude of his testament vnder you â—eete and die past hope God forbid and the earnest praiers and sobbes of your owne soules hartely forbidde it Ianuas aeternae foelicitatis desparatio claudit spes aperit Desperation shutteth vp hope openeth the dores of eternall felicitie And therefore hee that hath least and nothing at all to hope yet let him despaire of nothing it was the advise of an heathen let it bee the practise of a Christian. Let him hope against hope though the basenesse of his condition horrour of sinne weight of tribulation envy of Sathan rigour of the lawe iustice of the vpright iudge seeme to overthwarte him THE XXVII LECTVRE Chap. 2. ver 5.6 The waters compassed mee about vnto the soule c. Yet hast thou brought vp my life from the pit O Lord my God IN the third and fourth verses before I haÌ„dled first the daunger or feare of Ionas illustrated 1. from the person that cast him into it 2. from the place with the accessaries thereunto the depth the heart the multitude of seas 3. from the passions of the sea which vvere either floudes compassing him about or waves overwhelming him those waves in nature surges touching the author Gods surges touching the number all his surges 4. from the infirmity of his owne conscience wherein 1. advisedly he pronounceth and saith 2. that as an vnprofitable thing he is cast out 3. from the sight that is the favour and grace of his mercifull Lorde Secondlye I added thereunto his hope and confidence as a peece of sweete woode cast into the waters of Marah to take away their bitternesse so this to rellish and sweeten his soule againe and to make some amendes for all his former discouragementes In these two contrary affections feare and hope I tolde you the vvhole songe vvas consumed to the ende of the seventh verse First you shall heare his daunger displaied in sundry and forcible members for his wordes swamme not in his lippes but were drawne from the deepe well of a troubled conscience and then at the end some sentence of comfort added as a counter-verse to alay the rigour of the other partes and to vpholde his fainting soule This was the order that David tooke with his soule in the 42. and 43. Psalmes Why art thou cast downe O my soule Hope in the Lorde for I will yet giue him thankes for the helpe of his presence Likewise in the 80. Psalme Turne vs againe O God of hostes cause thy face to shine and wee shall bee safe They come 〈◊〉 seemeth as so many breathings to a man wearied with a tedious race or rather as so many lines and recollections of spirites after swoonings Now vnlesse I will leaue my texte as Ionas left the way to Niniveh which God had apointed him to walke in I must againe entertaine your eares with the same discourse which before I helde I hope without offence to any man For the hearing of these admirable wordes and workes of God is not or should not be as the drinking of wine wherin they say the first draught is of necessity the second for pleasure the third for sleepe so ever more worse but here it is true which the son of Syrach wrot of wisedome for this is the pure and holy wisedome They that eate her shal haue the more hunger and they that drinke her shall thirst the more The eie is not satisfied with seeing nor the eare with hearing such things And albeit it bee a faulte in musicke evermore to strike vppon the same string yet Ionas I doubt not shall easily bee excused and finde favour in your eares in handling this song of his though he bring nothing for a time but the repetition of the same matters For first hee gaue you the ground and plain-song which I called the proposition in the second
times to make full restitution of my ancient losses What needed writings in a booke graving in lead or stone but that he was carefull of posterity that the scripture sculpture of his owne conscience ' might be a monument in time to come for other afflicted soules The counsaile which David giveth his troubled soule again again repeated because his sorrowes were againe and often multiplied shal be my last for this time O my soule why art thou cast downe and why art thou disquieted within me I wil not forget to note vnto you that one of the greatest temptations hee then felt and that which fed him with his teares day and night in steede of meate was the daily vpbraiding of his persecutours where is now thy God If they could have battered the fortresse of his hope they had vtterly spoiled him Yet he encourageth that persecuted and downe-trodden soule with harty incitations Why art thou cast downe c. trust in the Lord for I will yet and yet give him thankes for the helpe of his presence Hope is never put to silence never abasheth nor shameth the man that ioyneth her vnto him the sweetest and plesantest companion that ever travailed with the soiourners vpon earth She carrieth them along through all the difficulties and crosses of the way that lie to interrupt them Though they have passed through fire and water shee saith be not discomforted we shall yet give him thankes for the helpe of his presence Though through a life so replenished with misery that they blesse the dead more than the living and count them happier then both that have never bene she saith be of good cheere we shall yet give him thanks and there is time and matter enough wherin to shew his goodnes Yea though they walke into the chambers of death and shut the dores after them and see not the light of heaven still shee biddeth them be bold for they that sleepe in the dust shall arise and sing the dew of their dry bones shal be as fresh as the dew of the hearbes and we shall yet give him thanks for the helpe of his presence I remember that valiant and thrice renowned Athenian when I speake of the tenure and pertinacy of hope who when other-meanes failed grasped the ships of the enimy with his handes to hold them to fight and when his handes were striken of staied them with his teeth till he lost his life Hope can never be put from her hold-fast her voice is according to her nature adhuc confitebor I will yet give thanks in the winter and deadest time of calamities she springeth and cannot die nay shee crieth within her selfe whether I live or die I will not loose my patience for I shall see the day when the Lord shall know mee by my name againe righten my wronges finish my sorrowes wipe the teares from my cheekes treade downe my enimies fulfill mee with the oile of ioy and I shall yet and for ever give thankes for the helpe of his presence THE XXVIII LECTVRE Chap. 2. vers 7. When my soule fainted within mee I remembred the Lorde and my praier came vnto thee into thine holy temple THE two last verses if you remember were but a varied repetition of that which two others had handled before The generall partes of all vvhich were the feare and the hope daunger and comfort of the prophet vvhich two affections or conditions you haue often hearde the whole songe spendeth it selfe vpon His feare and daunger in the last place was that neither water nor earth spared him The waters touching their pride and exaltation came vnto his soule touching their measure promised him no bottome touching their traine and confederates bounde their vveedes about his heade The earth neither lodged him in a smooth and easie floore but vnder the rootes and ragges of mountaines nor in an haven or any the like accessible place but vvithin her barres Notwithstanding the head of the serpent vvith all his subtile devises against the life of the prophet is bruised at the heele of the speech where one little particle of hope wipeth out all the former discomfortes Yet haste thou brought vp c. Once againe as heeretofore I dissembled not with you I must enter into the selfe-same matter of discourse and explication The soule of Ionas may fainte vvithin him as my texte telleth vs the sunne and moone may faile in their motions day night may faile in their courses the earth may faile and totter vpon her proppes the sea and rivers may faile and be emptied of their waters but the worde of the Lorde shall never faile neither in trueth nor in the riches and plentye thereof to minister an everlasting argument to him that dispenseth it Time and speech and audience shall faile but matter can never vvant vvhen that aboundant treasure commeth to bee opened It was well saide by Chrysostome that in a thousande talentes of worldely wordes a man shall hardly finde an hundreth pence of spirituall and heavenly wisedome scarsely tenne halfepence But infinite are the talentes of wisedome that are hidde in the vvoordes of God even when they seeme in the iudgement of man to bee most exhausted The Apostles exhortation to the Colossians is that the worde of the Lorde shoulde dvvell plentifullie amonge them Surely the woorde of GOD in one of the deepest and vvaightiest pointes of knowledgeâ— touching our hope howe to bee vsed and where to bee founded hath once and a seconde time alreadie offered it selfe vnto you VVhither as yet it hath gotten house-roume and dwelling among you I cannot tell Perhappes it did but soiourne in your heartes and was in nature of a passenger to tarry for a night or an howre Or happily as the Levite that came to Gâ—beah in the nineteenth of Iudges it hath sitten in the streetes and no man hath received it into house Or if it hath gotten entraunce and admission it was perforce as those that let downe the sicke man by the tyles of the house the dores being pestered and thronged with multitude that they coulde not haue entrance otherwise it may bee the gates of your heartes beeing stopped vvith multitudes of popular and worldely affaires it tooke some little fastening against your willes But that it may dvvell in your consciences never to departe from them and not in a narrovve corner thereof sparingly and vvith discontentment but in such plentifull manner as the Apostle spake of to enioye her full libertye all other in-mates and associates put aparte all distrustfull cogitations either from the wiles of Sathan or vveakenesse of our flesh remooved the providence of GOD hath so ordered it that after twise navigation as the proverbe is there shoulde bee a thirde iteration of the same doctrine that your heartes for ever might be established VVhen the vision of the sheete vvas sent vnto Peter in the tenth of the Actes the voice was vttered vnto him three times Arise Peter
or more passions if they vvill goe into captivity againe let them goe but they shall not returne if they sell themselues to the will of their enemy let them never hope for a second ransome VVhen my soule fainted In the second circumstance of the first branch wherein is noted the affection of his soule I will rather marke the efficacie of the worde heere brought than make discourse vpon it The very noting of the worde is discourse enough The wordes that the holy ghost vseth are not vaine vvordes such as are vsed by men to deceiue with the examination search wherof yeeldeth no profit but he that wil weigh them aright must not only view the outwarde face of the whole sentence at large but sucke out the iuice and bloude of every severall vvorde therein contained The extremitye of the soule of Ionas seemeth to bee very greate because there is no little trouble and care how to expresse it The Septuagints render it an eclipse or if you will a dereliction and death of the soule Calvin a convolution or folding vp togither Tremelius an overvvhelming Ierome a streightning or compacting into a close roume Pomeran a despairing VVhatsoever it is Rabbi Kimhi affirmeth that the vvorde is never vsed but of greate miserie happily such as shall accompanie the last times when men shall bee at their wittes endes for feare and their heartes shall faile them because of troubles Nowe whither you saie that his soule forsooke him as if it were and there was deliquium animae a disparition of it for a time as if it vvere not like the state of Eutychus in the Actes who was taken vp for deade though his life remayned in him or vvhither it were wrapt and vvounde vvithin it selfe that her owne house was a prison vnto her and shee had no power to goe foorth no list to thinke of heaven no minde to aske the counsaile of GOD or man as vvhen a birde is snared the more it laboureth the harder it tieth it selfe and though it vse the legges or the vvinges it vseth them to a further hinderaunce so all the thoughtes that the soule of Ionas thought were not to ease the hearte but more to perplexe it and all fell backe againe vpon himselfe or whither the soule were overwhelmed vvithin him with her owne weighte as one that shoulde gather stones for his owne graue or that it was pinched and pressed within a narrowe place that all those former impedimentes promontories and barres of the earth did not imprison him so close as his owne feare or whatsoever it were besides what was it else but either the messenger and fore-runner or a neare companion to that vnnaturall and vngratious sinne which wee haue often alreadye smitten at with the sworde of Gods spirite accursed desperation Howe is the golde become drosse howe is the soule of man turned into a carkeise The chaunge is marvailous That that was given to quicken the bodie and to put life into it is most dull and liuelesse it selfe That that was given to giue liberty explication motion agilitie and arte to every parte of the bodye is nowe the greatest burthen that the body hath If I shall giue the reason heereof it is that which Bernarde alleageth in a Sermon The reasonable soule of man hath two places an inferiour vvhich it governeth the bodie a superiour vvherein it resteth GOD vvhich is the same in substance that Augustine had before delivered in his nineteenth treatise vpon Saint Iohn it quickneth and it selfe is quickened VVherefore if that better life vvhich is from aboue relinquish the soule vvith the comfortes and aides of GODS blessed spirite hovve is it possible but that the soule should also relinquish her body with the offices of her life This is the reason then that the soule faineteth shee first dyeth vpwardes then dovvne-wardes and invvardely to her selfe Shee forgetteth her maker and preserver and hee likevvise striketh her vvith amazement and confusion in all her powers that shee lyeth as it vvere in a traunce and knovveth not howe to apply them to their severall and proper functions Nowe therefore if the floudes and waues of the sea wherewith hee was embraced on every side had beene as kinde vnto him as ever were his mothers armes and those ragged endes of the mountaines like pillowes of downe vnder his bones if the promontories and barres of the earth had vnbarred themselues vnto him of their owne accorde like those dores of the prison in the Actes to let him out yet if the soule within him did remaine thus fettered and gived with the chaines of her owne confusion and all the devises and counsailes of her heart were rather hinderances than helpes vnto her and her greatest enmitie or at least her least friendship came from her owne house that either shee thought nothing or all that shee thought was but the imagination of a vaine thing I would not wish her greater harme Hee wanteth no other miserie that is plagued with a fainting soule Aske not the malice of the sea the malice of the lande the malice of hell against him vvhom the vntovvardenesse and distruste of his ovvne soule hath beaten downe The thirde circumstaunce maketh mention of the subiect or place vvherein his soule fainted that you may knovve there is no power in man to vndoe such implicite cordes and to loose the bandes of sorrowe and death vnlesse some vertue from vvithout set too an helping hande The sense is verie plaine that in himselfe his soule fainted that is there vvas no domesticall earthly naturall helpe that coulde release him but vvhen his father mother friendes lande sea his soule all had forsaken him the Lorde tooke him vp and gaue him better hope For vvho should restore to libertie a soule confounded as this was and re-deliver it to her former abilities teach her to vnderstande arighte prudentlie to deliberate assuredly to hope who reconcile a man fallen out with himselfe and make peace within his borders or rather reviue and recover a man fallen from himselfe but hee who is said to order a good mans goinge and to bee a GOD of order not of confusion VVhen the earth was vvithout forme and voide and darkenesse vpon the deepe and neither heaven nor earth lande nor water day nor night distinguished who fashioned the partes of that vnshapen Chaos separated light from darkenesse and brought the creature into a comely proportion but even the same LORDE who finding this wastnesse and informity in the soule of Ionas made it perfit againe It is evident in the nexte wordes For marke the connexion VVhen my soule fainted within me I remembred the Lorde How is it possible for did his soule faint and was it in maner no soule vnto him as it fareth with some who seeme for a space to bee deade and their spirites to haue forsaken them was all the strength thereof consumed stifled choked given over within him and had hee a memorie
lefte the cofferer and treasurer of the soule to remember the Lorde with how came this gift of memory to a soule so taken and possest that as Orbilius a Grammarian in Rome forgot not onely the letters of the booke but his owne name so this is even deade and buried vnder it selfe and hath forgotten to thinke a thought and laide aside all her accustomed heavenly meditations Ionas without question had never remembred the Lorde vnlesse the Lorde had first remembred him Bernarde vpon the wordes of the Canticles I sought him in the night season Every soule amongst you saith he that seâ—keth the Lorde that it turne not a great blessing into a greate mischiefe let her knovve that shee is prevented by the Lorde and that shee is first sought before shee can seeke For then are our greatest felicities changed into our greatest woes when being made glorious by the graces of God wee vse his giftes as if they were not given and ascribe not the glory of them to his holy name Who hath first loved him Giue mee a man that ever loved GOD and was not first beloved and enabled therevnto it shal bee highly recompensed vnto him But it is most cerâ—aine that hee loued vs vvhen vvee were his enimies and when we had not existence or being I say more when wee made resistaunce to his kindenesse Wee can promise no more in this heavenlesse race and exercise of Christianity than the Prophet doeth in the Psalme I will runne the waies of thy commaundementes when thou hast set my hearte at liberty Wilt thou runne with thy feete before thy heart be prepared or canst thou run with thy hart before God hath enlarged it or canst thou runne the way without the way which is Iesus Christ a vvay that thou canst not see till thine eies bee opened and illightened or wilt thou runne the way of Gods commaundements when thou canst not discerne the commaundementes of God from the motions and fansies of thine owne minde not so But when the Lorde shall haue set thine heart at liberty then runne when the LORDE hath quickened and rubbed vp thy memory then remember him Otherwise without that helpe wee lye lame and impotent as the creeple at the poole of Bethesda all the daies and yeares of our life are spent like his without ease of our infirmities and the vertue of the waters of life as of those in the poole are by others caught from vs. Ierome translateth the wordes with some little difference from others I remembred the Lorde That my praier might come into his holy temple So his praier came vnto the Lorde by meanes of his praier for that remembring of the Lorde was his praier But whence came that former praier that made way for the later Fulgentius in an epistle to Theodorus a senatour laying a sure foundation and axiome to the rest of his speech would haue all that we doe or enioy ascribed to the grace of God Next that the helpe and assistance of that grace must be craved of God Thirdly that the craving of his grace is also it selfe the worke of grace For first it beginneth to bee powred into vs that it may afterwardes beginne to be begged by vs. As vnlesse the light of the aire first goe into our eies our eies though made to see yet see nothing Fourthly vve cannot aske hee saith vnlesse wee haue a will to aske and what wil is there if God worke it not Lastly hee counselleth all men diligently to converse in the scriptures vvherein they shall finde the grace of God both preventing them in such sort that when they are downe they may rise vp and accompanying them to hold them in their right course and following them till they come to these heavenly beatitudes And as he accounteth it a detestable pride of the hart of man to do that which God in man condemneth he meaneth sinning so much more detestable that when a man doth attribute to himselfe the giftes of God Thus much by the iust occasion of my texte because hee saide when his soule fainted vvithin him yet he remembred the LORD which I say againe hee coulde never haue done his reason knowledge will memorie all being past excepte the Lorde had first remembred him After his feare againe his hope I remembred the Lorde and my praier came vnto thee into thine holy temple The particulars are quickely had after that fainting and fit of his soule 1. what hee did hee remembred 2. whome hee remembred the Lorde All the rest serveth for explication As namely 3. how he remembred him by praier For it seemeth that not only his memory but al the faculties and affections of his soule were set on worke by him 4. How his praier sped It was not stopped by the way but came vnto the Lorde and did the part of a trustie embassadour 5. It is not amisse to know that every soule is the Lordes the soule of the father and the soule of the childe are his and that the promises are made not only to Abraham but to his seede after him and to all of that seede in particular for hee is neither multiplied with multitudes nor scanted with paucities so caring for one that hee omitteth not the care of many so for many that he ceaseth not to care for one and therefore the praier heere sent was peculiarly his owne as of a person accepted chosen vnto the Lord my praier 6. The faithfull coniunction of his soule with God which the Apostrophe and suddaine change of the speech causeth me to note For now he speaketh not to vs or to his owne spirit as before I remembred the Lorde but vnto the Lorde himselfe laying his mouth to those pure vndefiled eares my praier came vnto thee 7. The place wherein it was presented vnto him into thine holy temple which either he meaneth of heaven the pallace and basilicke of the great king or of the temple of Ierusalem which all the children of God in those dayes had respect vnto So Daniell though he prayed in Babylon yet opened hee the windowes of his chamber towardes Ierusalem And Salomon made request at the dedication of the temple that if ever his people in the time of famine battaile captivity or any the like tribulation shoulde pray towardes that citty and towardes that house of praier the Lord that sate in heaven would vouchsafe to heare them Though not sure of the place yet this I am sure of that whither soever of the two be spoken of the holy Lorde hath dedicated it to holinesse and called it by the name of an holy temple setting thereby a barre about it as hee did aboute the mounte to keepe out beastes and brutish men For as his temple vpon the earth none should so that other more sacred and secret that is in heaven none shall ever enter into that is vnholy and vncleane To draw these scattered braunches home to their roote againe the
generall substance of them all togither is this that Ionas received hope by remembring the Lorde for his part and that the Lorde on the other side accepted his prayer and gaue successe to it As Ieremie spake in the Lamentations so mighte Ionas say It is the mercie of the LORDE that I am not consumed The reason is For his compassions fayle not The danger seemed vncurable because it lighted vpon the soule not to the crazing and distempering alone but the vtter overwhelminge of it and no hope left in himselfe to heale the hurte What doth he then hee betaketh himselfe to the glasse of memory to see what succour hee can finde there and as it is placed in the hinder parte of the head so he reserveth it for the hinder part of his miseries maketh it his latest refuge to ease his heart I haue red of memories in some men almost incredible Seneca writeth of himselfe that he had a very flourishing memory not only for vse but to deserue admiratiom He was able to recite by hearte 2000. names in the same order wherein they were first digested Portius Latro in the same author wrote that in his minde which other in note-bookes A man most cunning in histories If you had named a capitaine vnto him he would haue runne thorough his actes presently Cyneas being sent from Pyrrhus in an embassage to Rome the nexte day after he came thither saluted all the Senatours by their names and the people round about them A singular gift from God in those that haue attained thereto howsoever it bee vsed But yet as the obiect which memory apprehendeth is more principall so the gift more commendable As Tully comparing Lucullus and Hortensius togither both being of a wonderfull memory yet preferreth Lucullus before Hortensius because he remeÌ„bred matter this but words Nowe the excellentest obiect of all others either for the memorie to accounte or for any other part of the soule to conceaue is the Lord. For he that remeÌ„breth the Lord as the Lord hath remembred him that nameth his blessings by their names as God the starres and calleth them to minde in that number order that God hath bestowed them vpon him if not to remember them in particular vvhich are more then the haires of his head yet to take their view in grosse and to fold them vp in a generall summe as David did vvhat shall I render to the Lord for all his benefites though he forget his owne people and his fathers house though the wife of his bosome and the fruit of his owne loines yea though he forget to eate his bread it skilleth not hee remembreth all in all and his memorye hath done him service enough in reaching that obiect And for your better encouragement to make this vse of memory vnderstande that it is a principall meanes to avoide desperation onely to call to minde the goodnesse of the Lorde forepassed either to our selues or others Thinke with your selues that as it was hee that tooke you from your mothers wombes and hath beene your hope ever since you hungâ— at the breastes and hath opened his handes from time to time to fill you vvith his goodnesse so hee is as able to blesse you still Compare and lay togither the times as David did that because hee had slaine a lyon and a beare at the folde therefore GOD woulde also enable him to prevaile against Golias So if the mercies of the Lorde haue beene so bountifull tovvardes you in former times to create you of the slime of the grounde and to put y a living and reasonable soule into you to nurse you vp in a civil and well-mannered country to redeeme you with the bloude of his begotten sonne to visite you vvith the lighte of his gospell to iustifie you with the power of his free gratuitall grace to fill your garners with store and your baskets with encrease and to giue you sonnes and daughters to the defyinge of your enemies in the gates saye to your selues his arme is not shortened hâ—â— is the same to day that yesterday hee will never forsake vs witâ— his loving kindenesse This is the course that David taketh in tâ—e Psalmes a capitaine never more skilfull to leade in the vvarres though the Lorde had taught his fingers to fighte than to conduct the desolate in the battailes of conscience Call to remembraunce thy tender mercies O Lorde which haue beene ever of olde This was the songe that hee sange to himselfe in the nighte season in the closet and quire of his owne breast vvhen hee communed with his private heart and searched out his spirites diligentlie Hath the LORDE forgotten to bee graciouâ— hee hath then lefte his olde wont No David forgot that the Lorde was gracious and afterwardes confessed his faulte of forgetfulnesse stirred vp his decayed memory and saide But I vvill remember the yeares of the right hande of the most high Not the momentes nor houres nor dayes of a few moment any afflictions which hee hath delt foorth vnto me with his left hande but the years of his right hand his wonders and actes that have beene ever of olde So likewise in an other Psalme Our fathers haue trusted in thee O Lorde Our fathers haue trusted in thee and were not confounded What is that to vs yes we are the children of those fathers sonnes of the same hope and heires of the same promises When the disciples of Christ mistooke the meaning of their maister touching the leaven of the Pharisees supposing he had said so because they had brought no breade he reprooved them for lacke of memory O yee of little faith vvhy thinke you thus in your selues doe yee not remember the fiue loaues vvhen there were fiue thousand men and howe many baskets full yee tooke vp neither the seaven loaues when there were foure thousande men and howe many baskets yee tooke vp thus we shoulde remember indeede how few loaues and howe many thousandes of men haue beene fed with them and what reversions and remnantes of mercy the Lord hath in store for other times O good Iesus saieth Barnarde vpon the Canticles VVee runne after the smell of thine ointmentes the perfume and sweeee savour of thy fat mercies Wee haue hearde that thou never despisest the poore afflicted Thou diddest not abhorre the theefe vpon the crosse confessing vnto thee nor Matthew sitting at receipt of custome nor the woman that washt thy feete with her teares nor the woman of Canaan that begged for her daughter nor the vvoman taken in adultery nor the Publican standing a farre of nor the disciple that denied thee nor the disciple that persecuted thee and thine nor the wicked that crucified thee therefore wee runne after the smell of thine ointmentes and hope to be refreshed with the like sent of grace Many haue written preceptes of memory and made a memoratiue art apointing places and their furniture for the helpe of such as are
vnexperienced I will also giue you some helpes When your soule beginneth to fainte as this prophets did remember what the Lord is by name Iehovah a God not in shew but in substaunce and performance For they that know thy name will trust in thee Remember what by nature rich in mercie as others are rich in treasure His iustice wisedome and power and vvhatsoever hee hath or rather is besides are also infinite riches God hath scarsitie of nothing But as his mercy is aboue all his workes so the riches of his grace a-aboue all his other riches Remember what hee is by promise The Lorde is faithfull I know whome I haue beleeved and I am sure hee is able to keepe that which I haue committed vnto you His trueth shal bee thy shielde and thy buckler O Lorde bee mindefull of thy worde wherein thou hast caused thy servant to put his trust If God be God follow him beleeue him builde vpon his worde his fidelitie is a thousand times alleaged that it may be past doubt Remember what hee is by covenaunte made vnto Abraham and his whole seede not in the bloud of bulles and goates but in the bloude of the seede of Abraham O my people saieth God by his prophet Micheas remember vvhat Balak King of Moab had devised and what Balaam the sonne of Beor aunswered him that yee may knowe the righteousnesse of the Lorde He cryeth vnto vs all at this day O my people remember what the prince of darkenesse had devised against you and howe Iesus Christ the sonne of the living God hath aunswered him and stopte his mouth vvith a voice of bloude and nayled his accusations to a crosle that yee may know the righteousnesse of the Lorde howe assured it is to those that beleeue it This this is the sure foundation which hee that buildeth vpon shall never fall This is the stone that vvas laide in Sion as for the bow of steele the wedge of golde the strength of an horse the promise of a man lighter vpon the ballance than vanity it selfe the righteousnesse of the lawe merites of Saintes they are the stones of Babylon This hath beene tried to the proofe precious aboue al the marchandize of Tyre and standeth in the heade of the corner He that beleeveth in this stone let him not haste saieth the Prophet Let him not yeelde too soone to the frailty of his flesh nor be over-credulous to the suggestions of Sathan nor suffer his hope to bee quelled at the first or second assaulte let him stay the leasure of the Lord for he will certainely visite him I haue shewed you some helpes and directions for memory I knowe no better hiding place from the winde no surer refuge from the tempest as Esay speaketh no safer harbours and receptacles wherein to repose your wearied soules than those I haue spoken of What better secret or shadow hath the most High what closer winges ' warmer feathers to keepe you from the snare of the hunter I meane not Nimrod or Esau mighty hairy and wilde making but temporall prayes either of men or beastes but the hunter of your soules than when you are distressed and compassed with troubles rounde about and sinnes which are the sorest troubles of all other haue taken such holde vpon you that you dare not looke vp when the soule fainteth as this prophetes did wisedome hath hid it selfe and vnderstanding is gone aside into a secret chamber that you know not what to advise nor where to fetch a thought that may minister comforte then to remember the Lord of hostes his name howe stronge a towre of defence it is his nature how sweete and amiable his promises how faithfull his covenant how precious in his eies that the Lord may remember you againe in his holy kingdome THE XXIX LECTVRE Chap. 2. ver 8 9. They that waite vpon lying vanities for sake their owne mercie But I will sacrifice vnto thee c THe narration is ended We are now to annexe the conclusion of the song wherin the prophet betaketh himselfe to a thankfull acknowledgement and as his tenuity will give him leave a remuneration requital of the goodnes of the Lord which his hart had presumed before The partes are three 1. A confutation and reproofe of all kindes of idolatours who as they call vpon false Gods so they are likely to be sped but with false deliveraunces They that wait vpon lying vanities forsake their owne mercy 2. An affirmative or positive determination and as it were bond that hee taketh of himselfe to render kindnesse to his merciful and faithfull Lorde But I vvill sacrifice c. and vvill pay that that I have vowed 3. A sentence of acclamation the aphorisme and iuice of the whole songe the conclusion of the conclusion the comprehension of sacrifices vowes praiers thanksgivings all thinges Salvation is the Lordes or the Lord. They that waite vpon lying vanities forsake their owne mercie What communion is there betweene darkenesse and light falshode and truth the table of devils and the table of the Lord idolatry and the right â—ervice of the righteous God This is the cause that Ionas beginneth with confutation Before he will plant the vineyard he will remoove stones and briers and all other obstacles that may hurte the growth of the vines Before hee buildeth his house hee vvill first pull downe a ruinous and rotten foundation So is the duety of a prophet in the first of Ieremie This day have I sette thee over nations and kingedomes first to plucke vp to roote out destroy throw downe secondly to plant and build and set vp againe And so is the duty of an Evangelist also who hath received the administration of the gospell of Christ first to prepare the way as it vvere and to make straight pathes before the face of Christ that is first to reproove and then to teach concerning doctrine first to correct and afterwardes to informe touching conversation Iohn Baptist you know a middle man betweene the lawe and the gospell a prophet and more than a prophet because he both foresaw and visibly saw the Lorde of life both prophecied and pointed with his finger turning his face like their Ianus in Rome both waies he first made ready the houses and heartes of the people before the king of Sion came cast downe hilles lifted vp vallies c. that the gospell of the kingdome might have the freer admission He beganne his preachings with reprehension of their vicious lives O yee generation of vipers and convulsion of their false groundes Saie not within your selves wee have Abraham to our father c. No man setteth a new piece to an olde garment hee maketh the rent but worse No man putteth newe wine into olde bottles for hee then marreth both It is to little purpose to offer truth and the tidings of peace the newes of the newe testament to the olde man whose ancient corruptions hange vpon him and
to our cities and townes barres to our houses a surer cover to our heads than an helmet of steele a better receite to our bodies than the confection of Apothecaries a better receite to our soules than the pardons of Rome is Salus Iehovae the salvation of the Lord. The salvation of the Lord blesseth preserveth vpholdeth all that we have our basket and our store the oile in our cruises our presses the sheepe in our folds our stalles the children in the wombe at our tables the corne in our fieldes our stores our garners it is not the vertue of the stars nor nature of the things themselves that giveth being continuance to any of these blessings And what shall I more say as the apostle asked Hebr. 11. when he had spoken much and there was much more behind but that time failed him Rather what should I not say for the world is my theatre at this time and I neither thinke nor can feigne to my selfe any thinge that hath not dependaunce vpon this acclamation Salvation is the Lordes Plutarcke writeth that the Amphictyones in Greece a famous counsell assembled of twelve sundrie people wrote vpon the temple of Apollo Pythius in steede of the Iliades of Homer or songes of Pindarus large and tyring discourses shorte sentences and memoratives as Know thy selfe Vse moderation Beware of suretishippe and the like And doubtlesse though every creature in the world whereof we haue vse be a treatise and narration vnto vs of the goodnesse of God and wee might weary our flesh and spend our daies in writing bookes of that vnexplicable subiect yet this short apopthegme of Ionas compreheÌ„deth all the rest and standeth at the ende of the songue as the altars and stones that the Patriarkes set vp at the partinge of the waies to giue knowledge to the after-worlde by what meanes hee was delivered I would it were dayly preached in our temples sunge in our streetes written vpon our dore-postes painted vppon our walles or rather cut with an admant claw vpon the tables of our hearts that wee might never forget Salvation to bee the Lordes wee haue neede of such remembrances to keepe vs in practise of revolvinge the mercies of God For nothinge decayeth sooner than loue And of all the powers of the soule memorye is most delicate tender and brittle and first waxeth olde and of all the apprehensions of memory first a benefite To seeke no further for the proofe and manifestation of this sentence within our coastes I may say as our Saviour in the nineteenth of Luke to Zacheus This day is salvation come vnto this house Even this day my brethren came the salvation of the LORDE to this house of David to the house of this Kingdome to the houses of Israell and Aaron people and priestehode church and common wealth I helde it an especiall parte of my duety amongst the rest the day invitinge and your expectation callinge mee thereunto and no text of mercy and salvation impertinent to that purpose to correcte and stirre vp my selfe with those fowre lepers that came to the spoile of the Syrian tentes I doe not well this day is a day of good tidinges and shoulde I holde my peace let the leprosie of those men cleaâ—e vnto my skinne if it bee not as ioyfull a thinge vnto mee to speake of the honour of this day as ever it vvas to them to carrye the happye nevves of the flight of Aram. It is the birth-day of our countrey It vvas deade before and the verye soule of it quite departed Sound religion which is the life of a kingdome was abandoned faith exiled the gospell of Christ driven into corners and hunted beyond the seas All these fell with the fall of an honorable and renowned plante which as the first flowre of the figtree in the prime and bloominge of his age was translated into heaven they rose againe with the rising and advancement of our gracious Lady and Soveraigne Were I as able as vvillinge to procure solemnitye to the day I would take the course that David did I would begin at heaven and call the Angelles and armieâ— thereof the sunne moone and starres I woulde descend by the aire and call the fire haile and snow vapours and stormy windes I would enter into the sea and call for dragons and all deepes I woulde ende in the earth and call for the mountaines and hilles fruitfull trees and cedars beastes and all cattell creeping thinges and feathered fowles Kinges of the earth and all people Princes Iudges yonge men and maidens olde men and children to lend their harmony and accord vnto vs to praise the name of the Lorde to accompany and adorne the triumph of our land and to showte into heaven with no other cry than this salus Iehovae salvation is only from the Lord by whome the horne of this people hath so mightily bene exalted O happy English if wee knew our good if that roiall vessell of gold wherein the salvation of the Lorde hath bene sent vnto vs were as precious and deare in our accounte as it rightly deserveth Her particular commendations common to her sacred person not with many princes I examine not Let it bee one amongst a thousand which Bernard gaue to a widowe Queene of Ierusalem and serveth more iustly to the maiden Queene of England that it was no lesse glory vnto her to liue a widowe havinge the worlde at will and beinge to sway a kingdome which required the helpe of an husband than a Queene The one saith he Came to thee by succession the other by vertue the one by descent of bloude thâ— other by the gift of God the one it was thy happinesse to bee borne the other thy manlinesse to haue atteined vnto a double honour the one towardes the worlde the other towardes God both from God Her wisedome as the wisedome of an Angell of the Lorde so spake the widowe sometimes to David fitter for an Angell than my selfe to speake of her knowledge in the tongues and liberall learninge in all the liberall sciences that in a famous Vniversitie amongst the learnedest men shee hath bene able not onely to heare and vnderstand which were somethinge but to speake perswade decide like a graduate oratour professour and in the highest court of parliameÌ„t hath not onely sitten amongst the peeres of her realme and delivered her minde maiestate manus by some bodily gesture in signe of assent but given her counsaile and iudgemente not inferiour to any and her selfe by her selfe hath aunswered the embassadours of severall nations in their severall languages with other excellent graces beseeming the state of a prince though they best know on whose hande shee leaâ—eth and that are nearest in attendaÌ„ce and observance about her maiesty yet if any man bee ignorant of let him aske of strangers abroade into whose eares fame hath bruited and blowne her vertues and done no more but right in giving such giftes vnto her
the settled lees of their long continued abhominations and thou shalt end many labours in one thou shalt doe a cure vpon the heart of the principall cittie the benefite whereof shall spread it selfe into the partes of the whole countrie But if Niniveh bee so greate in vvealth and so deepely rooted in pride that shee vvill not bee reformed tell hâ—r shee hath climbde so high to have the lower downe-fall though her children should die in their sinnes yet their bloud for example given shall especially bee required at her handes Many goodly citties were there in Asia Babylon so big that Aristotle called it a country not a citty and Niniveh greater then Babylon and Troy lesse then them both but in her flourishing daies the piller of that part of the world of vvhich and many their companions wee may now truely say O iam periere ruinae the very ruines of them are gone to ruine The king of the Gothes when he saw Constantinople pronounced that the Emperour there was an earthly God They write of Quinsay at this day that it is an hundreth miles about and furnished with 12000. bridges of marble Let not Ierusalem leese her honour amongst the rest Though her honour and happinesse were laide in the dust long since They that were alive when IerusaleÌ„ lived to have numbred her tovvers considered her walles and marked her bulwarckes and to have tolde their posterity of it might have made a reporte skarsely to have beene beleeved I am sure vvhen the Kinges of the earth were gathered togither and sawe it they marvailed they were astonied and suddainely driven backe Let mee adde the renowned citties of Italy by some never sufficiently magnified Rich Venice Greate Millaine Auncient Ravenna Fruitfull Bononia Noble Naples with all their glorious sisters and confederates and her that hath stolen the birth-right from the rest and saith she is ancientest and the mother to theÌ„ all which only is a citty in the iudgment of Quintilian and others are but townes were they all cities great and walled vp to heaven as those of the Anakins were they regions as hee spake of Babilon and every one a world in it selfe yet time shall weare them away sin shall dissolue and vndoe their composition and hee that is greate over all the kingdomes of the earth can cover them with brambles sowe them with salt and turne them vpside downe as if they had never beene When the Emperour Constantius came in triumph to Rome and behelde the companies that entertained him he repeated a saying of Cyneas the Epirote that he had seene so many Kings as Citizens But viewing the buildinges of the cittie the stately arches of the gates the turrets tombes temples theatres bathes and some of the workes like Babell so high that the eye of man coulde skarcely reach vnto them he was amazed and said that nature had emptied all her strength vpon that one cittie Hee spake to Hormiâ—da maister of his workes to erect him a brasen horse in Constantinople like vnto that of Traian the Emperour which hee there sawe Hormisda aunswered him that if hee desired the like horse hee must also provide him the like stable All this much more in the honour of Rome At length hee asked Horsmida what hee thought of the cittie Who tolde him that hee tooke not pleasure in any thing but in learning one lesson which was that men also died in Rome This was the end of those kinglie men which Constantius so tearmed and the end of that lady citty the mirrour and mistresse of the worlde vvill bee the same that hath befallen her predecessours And as nature emptied her selfe vpon it so shee must empty her selfe into nature againe if shee be so happy to fulfill the number of her daies and come to a perfit age but such may bee the iudgement of God vpon her notorious and vncureable witchcraftes that as an vntimely fruite shee may perish reape the meede of the bloud-sucker in the Psalme not to liue out halfe her daies Preach vnto it the preaching which I bid thee Or proclaime against it the proclamation which I enioyne thee So that first the matter must be receaved from the Lord secondly the manner must bee by proclamation and out-crying which requireth not onelye the lowdenesse of voice but the vehemency and fervency of courage to excecute his makers will In Esay they are both ioyned togither For first the Prophet is willed to cry And secondly because he was loth to trust the invention of his owne spirit hee taketh his texte from the mouth of the Lord What shall I cry that all fleshe is grasse c. Iohn Baptist in the gospell is but a voice himselfe not the authour nor speaker but onely the voice of one that cried in the wildernesse prepare the waies of the Lorde And whether hee spake as lowde as the will of that Crier was I report mee to the Scribes and Pharisees Publicans souldiers Herode and Herodias vvhose eares hee claue in two with denouncing his maisters iudgementes The preaching which I bid thee Howe daungerous it is for any messenger of the Lord to exceede the boundes of his commission by addinge his owne devises thereunto and taking words into his mouth which were never ministred vnto him or to come shorte of it by keeping backe the couÌ„sailes of his master which he hath disclosed to be made knowne let that fearefull protestation in the ende of the booke summing and sealing vp all the curses and woes that went before testifie to the worlde I protest vnto euerie man that beareth the wordes of the prophecie of this booke and of all those other bookes that the finger of God hath written If any man shall adde vnto these things God shall adde vnto him the plagues that are written in this booke And if any man shall diminishe of the wordes of the booke of this Prophecie God shall take away his parte out of the booke of life and out of the holy cittie and from those thinges which are written in this booke The protestation hath vveight enough vvithout helpe to make it sinke into the dullest eares of those who dare adventure at such a price to set their sacrilegious handes to those nice and religious pointes Let them bevvare that preach themselues and in their ovvne names and saye the Lord hath said vvhen he never said that abuse the worlde vvith olde wiues tales olde mens dreames traditions of Elders constitutions of Popes precepts of men vnwriten truthes vntrue writings or that sell the worde of the Lorde for gaine and marchandize that pearle which the vvise marchant vvill buy vvith all the treasure hee hath that holde the truth of God in vnreghteousnesse and dare not free their soules for feare of men and deale in the worke of the Lorde as adulterers in their filthines for as these esteeme not issue but lust so the others not the glory of God nor
profit of their heartes but their ovvne vvantonnesse Some haue too many fingers vpon their handes like the Gyant in the second of Samuell And some too fewe like those vvhome Adonibezek mained some offend in excesse some in defecte some adde some diminishe But hee that hath power to adde plagues whilest the worlde standeth that is to multiplie and continue them in such sort that they shall ever encrease to an hundreth hundreth fold and never see an ende and to diminish blessinges so lowe that not the least dramme of them shall remaine hee shall retale their doinges into their bosomes and giue them their reward in the same maner and kinde wherein they haue deserved it The Apostle vvalked vvisely in this calling and stinted himselfe with that measure which God had divided vnto him Quod accepi á domino tradidi What I haue received of the Lord that I haue delivered vnto you neither more nor lesse but iust weight And being iealous over Timothy vvith a godly iealousie for feare hee mighte erre concerning the faith as others had done before him hee adiureth him in the sight of GOD who quickneth all thinges and before Iesus Christ who vnder Pontius Pilate vvitnessed a good confession to keepe the commaundement given vnto him vvithout spotte and vnrebukeable vntill the appearing of our Lord Iesus Christ. And in that praescience he had of times to come and loue hee bare to his scholler he calleth vnto him vvith intensiue inclamation O Timotheus keepe that pledge or gage that is committed vnto thee VVho is that Timotheus in our times The church the Priestes the doctours the pastours the treaters of the worde of God vvhatsoever Keepe it because of Theeues because of enemies vvhich watch to sowe their tares That that is committed vnto thee not that thou hast invented that thou haste received not devised a matter not of thine ovvne vvit but of thy learning not privaâ—lie caught vp but publickely taught vvherein thou must not bee an author but a keeper nor a master but a scholler nor a guide but a follower The Talent of the vniversall faith vvherevvith thou art credited keepe vnviolated thou hast received gold returne gold giue not lead or brasse or copper in steede of golde The precious iewels of heavenly doctrine cut and adorne giue beauty grace and comelines vnto them but suborne them not Illustrate that which was obscure and let posterity gratulate it selfe for vnderstanding that which before they reuerently esteeemed being not vnderstoode But ever bee sure that thou teach the same things which thou hast learned though thou bring vnto them a new fashion let the matter and substance be all one Much more in fitter tearmes doth Vincentius vtter to the same purpose Preach or proclaime vnto it The office of a faithfull prophet vvhen he hath received his message from the Lord is as faithfullie to deliver it Ieremy savve vvhat ensued vpon his simple and plaine dealing in not dissembling the faultes of the vvorlde but setting them in order before the faces of men· Since I spake I cried out of wronge and proclaimed desolation therefore the worde of the LORDE was made a reproach vnto mee and had in derision daylie And hee hearde the rayling of manie and feare on everie side and thought to giue over speaking in the name of the Lord but his vvorde was as fire within his bones and hee was weary of forbearing and coulde not doe it Hee afterwardes cursed the day of his birth and the man that brought newes to his father saying a man child is borne and wished the messenger in case of one of those citties which God overturned without repenting him because hee had not slaine him from the wombe that his mother might haue beene his graue and his belly his everlasting conception that hee might not haue come forth to see labour and sorrow and to haue consumed his daies with shame hee went not into corners to smother the will of him that sent him but in tearmes of defiance and personall application to the stowtest that bare an heade roundlye disclosed it Hee had shewed the precisenesse of his callinge that hee must not spare either small or greate though it pulled the whole vvorlde vpon him not longe before and with vvords of no lesse heavinesse Woe is mee my mother that thou hast borne mee a contentious man and a man that striveth vvith the vvhole earth I haue neither lente in vsurye nor men haue lent vnto mee that is I deale not in these affaires vvhich for the most part breed quarrelles and heart-burninges yet everye one doth curse mee We are the children of those prophets that haue lived in former daies We were borne to contend striue with the whole earth we are despised despighted hated cursed of every man because wee preach the preachings that the Lord hath biddeÌ„ vs proclaime his vengaÌ„ce against sinners our hand against every man every mans hand against vs our tongue against every vice and every tongue walketh rangeth at liberty through our actions We are thought to clamarous against the disorders of commoÌ„ life to busie severe in makinge Philippickes and declamations against every offence Forgiue vs this fault A necessitie is laide vpon vs. And as it is our woe that our mothers haue bredde vs to so quarrelsome a vocation so it is an other and our greater woe if wee preach not the Gospell if not also the lawe if not the tydinges of ioy to those that reioyce in our message if not also the terrours of iudgemente to those that contemne it if not liberty to captiues if not also captivity to libertines if wee pipe not to those that will daunce after vs and sounde not a trumpet of warre to those that resist if wee builde not an arke to those that wil bee saved and poure not out a floude of curses against those that will perish Lastly if wee open not the doores to those that knock and are penitent and stand not at the gates with a flaminge swoorde in our mouthes againste those that are obstinate What Shall the invincible tâ—nts of Christ saith Cyprian defended with the strength of the Lord giue place to the terrours threatnings of men shall the Church yeeld to the Capitoll shall the outrages of mad men bee greater than the iudgments and censures of ministers It must not be If wee bee the light of the vvorld we must espâ—e faultes and if voices of Iohn Baptist we must cry against them If we be the seers of the Lord we must not be blind and if his criers we must not be duÌ„be or tongue-tide I know the preaching of mercy is more acceptable vnto you O how beautifull are the feete how sweete the tongues of those that declare peace and publish good things and how vnwelcome of those that proclaime warres publish woes If every congregation vvee came into we would cry peace to to this
his rest before he had first laboured and finished the vvorke of sixe daies wee are ever in our Sabbathes and restes and suffer our daies of worke to slide without remembraunce But as verily as the God of heaven hath sanctified both labour and rest in his owne person so truely shal it be fulfilled that if we rest in the time of labour we shall labor in the time of rest Ionas arose And went to Niniveh The first-borne of idlenes is to do nothing the next issue shee hath is to doe that that appertaineth not vnto vs. For to follow vnnecessary businesse to keepe our selues in exercise is little praise and most commonly it falleth out that there is a fellowshippe and affinitie betweene these two as Paule vvriteth of the wanton yong widowes that they learned nothing in their idlenes but to go about from house to house and that they were not only idle and did nothing but were also pratlers and busi-bodies and given to vtter vncomely speech a curious kinde of people to know the liues and affaires of other men desidious and negligent to amende their owne The corruption is natural to vs al aunciently descended Adam in that richest roiallest liberty of his over all the works of Gods handes had more desire to knowe and to doe that that was forbidden him then all the rest and the very commaundemente of God which should haue restrained him gaue occasion to his vvill to become more wilfull From thence it commeth that we his vnwise and vngracious children are Physitians to other men rather then our selues states-men in forraine common-wealthes rather then our own medlers in any calling of life rather then that which God hath enioined vs. Harpers will deale with the scepters of princes and tel them how to rule The people will put on Aarons robes and teach him how to teach The cobler will finde fault with the thigh of the picture though his art go no higher then the foote The Emperours stewarde will pervert scriptures to strengthen the Arrian heresie though fitter to be a market man or to command broth for the Emperour in the kitchin Vzzah will beare vp the arke though he overthrow himselfe by it and Nadab and Abihu offer strange fire though they burne in the flames of it God will surely require of vs all for doing more then we should or that which wee ought not as he did of the Iewes for doing lesse Quis ista à vobis requisivit VVho hath required these things at your hands There are diversities of giftes and diversities of administrations and diversities of operations though the spirite be but one and God the same that worketh all in all Are all apostles are all prophets are all teachers are all doers of miracles haue all the giftes of healing doe all speake with tongues doe all interpret Or hath not God devided these graces to sundry men that every one mighte knowe and doe what belongeth to his calling The members in the body of man are not the same nor ordained to the same function If the whole bodie were an eie where were the hearing or if the vvhole vvere an eare vvhere vvere the smelling Seeing then that we haue giftes that are diverse according to the grace that is given vnto vs whither we haue prophesie let vs prophesie according to the proportion of faith or whither an office let vs waite on the office hee that teacheth on teaching hee that exhorteth on exhortation hee that distributeth let him doe it with simplicitie he that ruleth with diligence hee that sheweth mercy with cheerefulnesse Let every man as hee hath received the gifte mâ—nister the same and not his brothers or companions as good disposers of the manifolde grace of God One and the same spirite which is the author of order not of confusion see how constant he is and like himselfe in the mouthes of sundry Apostles to teach this ambitious and idly busie age bringing into nature the like deformed informity of thinges by mingling all togither wherein the worlde sometimes was and whilst it doeth all thinges doing nothing worthy of thankes neither to bee wise in matters appertaining to God or man more then may stande vvith sobriety and having a charge of their owne properly distinguished not to trouble their heades with aliene and vnnecessary affaires It was a worthy epigramme that Aldus Manutius wrote vpon the dore of his chamber to avoide such wearisome ghestes Their cause of troubling him a maÌ„ carefully bent to enlarge the bounds of good learning was negotij inopia want of businesse for then their agreement was Eamus ad Aldum come let vs go to Aldus At length to prevent them hee set an vnmannerly watchman at his dore which could not blush and whose entertainement was on this maner Whosoever thou arte Aldus doeth heartily beseech thee if thou haue ante bunesse with him briefely to dispatch it and presently bee gone vnlesse thou commest as Hercules did when Atlaâ— was wearie to put his shoulders vnder the burthen For neither thy selfe canst want worke of thine owne at anie time nor any of those that repaire to this place To conclude the note Ionas arose and hasted before at his first call there wanted not speed to his travaile he went like the lightning as Ezechiell speaketh of the foure beastes and spared neither the paines of his body nor the benefite of winde and sailes to beare him forwardes But he lost the approbation and rewarde of his labour bâ—cause he mistooke Tharsis for Niniveh and bended his course to a wrong place Now he hath learned the song of David I will not onely runne but I will runne the way of thy commaundementes And as the feete of the beastes before mentioned which in the tenth of Ezechiell are interpreted to bee Cherubins were straight feete so are the feete of Ionas straitned towardes Niniveh and like an arrow that flyeth to the marke so setteth he his face and heart vpon the place commaunded According to the worde of the Lorde The most absolute constant infallible rule that ever was devised and as many as walke according to this rule they shall not faile to be blessed It was deservedly wished and longed for in the Psalme O that my waies were made so direct that I might keepe thy statutes so shoulde I not bee confounded vvhilst I had respect vnto thy commaundementes It is said of the children of Israell Numbers the ninth that at the mouth of the Lorde they iournied and at the mouth of the LORD they pitched or lay still They knew his minde by the clowde that vvas over the tabernacle For if it abode vpon the tabernacle two daies or a moneth or a yeare they also abode but if it vvere taken vp then they vvente forwarde Againe it is added in the same place and as it were vvith a breath to praise their obedience At the commaundement of the Lorde they pitched and
3. according to the worde of the Lorde which erst he had disobeyed Thus farre we vnderstood whither he went nowe we are to learne what hee did in Niniveh namely 1. for the time Hee beginneth his message presently at the gates 2. for the place hee had entred but a thirde parte of the citie so much as might be measured by the travaile of one day 3. for the manner of his preaching hee cried 4. for the matter or contentes Yet fortye daies and Niniveh shall bee destroyed I haue tasted nothinge of this present verse but vvhat mighte make a connexion with the former For the greatnesse of Niniveh repeated in the latter ende thereof served to this purpose partly to commend the faith of the Ninivites who at the first sounde of the trumpet chaÌ„ged their liues partly to giue testimony ito the diligence constaÌ„cy of the Prophet who was not dismaide by so mighty a chardge And Ionas beganne to enter into the city All the wordes are spoken by diminution Ionas beganne had not made an ende to enter the citty had not gone through A daies iourney which was but the third parte of his way Not that Ionas began to enter the citty a daies iourney and then gaue over his walke for hee spent a day and daies amongest them in redressing of their crooked waies But Niniveh did not tarry the time nor deferre their conversion till his embassage vvas accomplished amongest them which is so much the more marveilous for that he came vnto them a messenger of evill and vnwelcome tydinges it is rather a wonder vnto mee that they skorned him not that they threw not dust into the aire ran vpon him with violence stopped his mouth threw stones at him with cursing and with bitter speaking as Shemei did at David as Ahab burdened Elias with troubling Israell so that they had not challenged Ionas for troubling Niniveh because he brought such tidinges as might sette an vprore and tumulte amongst all the inhabitantes That vvicked king of Israell whome I named before hated Micheas vnto the death for no other cause but that hee never prophecied good vnto him A man that ever did evill and no good coulde not endure to heare of evill And for the same cause did Amaziah the priest of Bethell banish Amos from the lande for preaching the death of Ieroboam and the captivitie of Israell therefore the Lorde was not able to beare his words and hee had his pasporte sealed O thou the seer goe flee thou avvaie into the lande of Iudah and there eate thy breade and prophecie there but prophecie no more at Bethel for this is the kinges chappell and this is the kinges courte so I woulde rather haue thought that they shoulde haue entertained Ionas in the like manner because hee came with fire and sworde in his mouth against them the cittye is not able to beare thy wordes vvee cannot endure to heare of the death of our king and the vniversall overthrow of our people and buildings O thou the seer get thee into the lande of Iudah and returne to thy cittye of Ierusalem and there eate thy breade and prophecye there but prophecie no more at Niniveh for this is the kings chappell nay this is the court of the mighty Monarch of Assyria But Niniveh hath a milder spirite and a softer speech and behaviour in receiving the Lordes prophet Now on the other side if you set togither the greatnesse of Niniveh and the present on-set vvhich the prophet gaue vpon it that immediately vpon his chardge without drawing breath hee betooke him to his hard province it maketh no lesse to the commendation of his faithfulnesse then their obedience For when hee came to Niniveh did hee deliberate what to doe examine the nature of the people vvhether they were tractable or no enquire out the convenientest place wherein to doe his message and where it might best stande with the safegarde of his person did he stay till hee came to the market place or burse or the kings palace where there was greatest frequency and audience No but where the buildings of the citty beganne there hee began to builde his prophecie And even at the entrance of the gates hee opened his lippes and smote them with a terrour of most vngratefull newes Againe he entered their citty not to gaze vpon their walles not to number their turrets nor to feede his eies with their high aspiring buildings much lesse to take vp his Inne and there to ease himselfe but to travaile vp and downe to wearie out his stronge men not for an houre or two but from morning til night even as long as the lighte of the daie vvill giue him leaue to worke I departe not from my texte for as you heare 1. Ionas began protracted not 2. to enter not staying till he had proceeded 3. to travaile not to be idle 4. the whole day not giving any rest or recreation to his bodie If wee will further extende and stretch the meaning of this sentence we may apply it thus It is good for a man to begin betimes and to beare the yoke of the Lord from his childe-hoode as Goliath is reported to haue beene a warriour from his youth to enter in the vineyard the first houre of the daie and to holde out till the twelfth to begin at the gates of his life to serue God and even from the wombe of his mother to giue his bodie and soule as Anna gaue her Samuell Nazarites vnto the Lord that his age and wisedome and grace may growe vp togither as Christes did And that as Iohn Baptist was sanctified in his mothers wombe Salomon was a witty childe Daniell and his yong companions were vvell nurtured in the feare of the Lorde and David wiser then his auncientes so all the parts degrees of his life from the first fashioning of his tender limmes may savour of some mercy of God which it hath received That whether hee bee soone deade they may say of him hee fulfilled much time or whither he carry his graye haires vvith him downe into the graue he may say in his conscience as David did Thy statutes haue ever beene my songes in the house of my pilgrimage As for the devils dispensation youth must bee borne with and as that vnwise tutour sometimes spake It is not trust mee a faulte in a younge man to followe harlots to drinke wine in bowls to daunce to the tabret to weare fleeces of vanity aboute his eares and to leaue some token of his pleasure in every place so giving him lycense to builde the frame of his life vpon a lascivious and riotous foundation of long practised wantonnesse it vvas never written in the booke of God prophets and Apostles never drempt of it the law-giver never delivered it heâ—l onelye invented it of pollicy to the overthrow of that age which God hath most enabled to doe him best service And as it was the
to day neither too shorte least they might despaire of mercy by thinking themselues overmuch straightned But as Salomon bounded his estate in a middle and convenient sort betweene povertie and ririches little and much least â—f hee were too full he might deny his maker and aske who is the Lord or if hee were too emptie he might steale and take the name of God in vaine so is the time of this people temperatly measured vnto them betweene long and shorte that neither abundaunce of daies may make them forget GOD nor skarsitie driue them from the hope of their vvished salvation Auncient woundes saieth Ierome are not cured in haste the plaister must long lie vpon them and the olde festared sinnes of Niniveh coulde not be done away vvith a daies repentance The measure and quantitie of their iudgement is an overthrow Niniveh shall bee destroyed Shee might haue beene plagued many vvaies and yet haue stood vpon her pillers and foundations plagued vvith the want of raine as Samaria in the daies of Ahab with skarsitie of breade with pestilence vvith siege of enemies with the tyranny and exaction of her own kings and governours but these are all too light in the eies of God and nothing will satisfie his iustice but her finall subversion If the grape-gatherers come to a vine saith Ieremie vvill they not leaue some grapes if theeues come by night they vvill but steale till they haue enough but Niniveh must bee gathered and prayed vpon by the vnsatiable iudgment of God till it hath left her nothing Some of the Hebrewes thinke that Niniveh should haue beene destroyed by fire from heaven as Sodome and Gomorrhe were Others suppose by the sworde of a forreigne enimie If by the former of these tvvo what a fearefull thinge vvas it that in steede of the fatnesse of the clowdes the greater and the smaller raine the sweete dewes of heauen comfortable showers which God hath engendered in the aire and devided by pipes to fall vpon the earth in their seasons their ground should be watered nay vvithered and the fruites of the earth cherished nay consumed their temples and buildinges resolved into cinders yea their very skinnes and bones molten from their backes with the heate of Gods vengeance The other in effect is not much behinde though in manner and kinde different vvhen so forcible and fierce an enemy commeth that destructions shall not need to arise vp the second time where neither the aged hath reverence for his gray haire nor the suckling release for the innocency of his age where neither matrone nor virgin priest nor Senatour shall be priviledged from slaughter When mourning shall be in their streetes and they shall saie in all their high waies alas alas or as it is in the fourth of Ieremy Woe is mee for my soule fainteth because of the murders vvhen there shall bee no man lefte to carry nevves to the next citye none to say to his friende leave thy fatherlesse children to mee and I will preserve them alive and let thy vviddowes trust in mee Finallye when the bloud of men shall bee powred out as dust and their flesh as dung and all the beastes of the field togither with the foules of the aire shall be called to a sacrifice of dead corpses The subiect of that overthrow is Niniveh Niniveh in state and magnificence as the stars of God Niniveh that excellent city which had her name from God himselfe Niniveh of such antiquity that from the floud of Noah she had stood vpright Niniveh that over-avved Babylon destroyed Samaria brought Ierusalem vnder tribute and was the rod of Gods anger to smite the nations with Niniveh that glorious city which dwelt in confidence and saide in her hart I am there is none besides me Niniveh must be subverted Niniveh built with so much labor and ambition by infinite numbers of men exquisite artificers vnmesurable chardges Niniveh with her walles 400. miles about their heighth and theit bredth wondered at vvith her thousand five hundred turrets so glorious to the eie Niniveh must bee subverted Her wealthy insoleÌ„t imperious inhabitaÌ„ts not only those of Assiria but the choise of al the couÌ„tries rouÌ„d about father son nephew old young all must be destroied It is not the losse of their king alone that is here threatned nor decay of marchants men of war nor the rooting out of the noblest families in Niniveh nor the funerals of private houses It is the fal overthrow without restraint of the whole city Thus pride when it commeth to the highest I say not in the sonnes of men and women but in the very sonne of the morning and the angels of heaven and not onely in common and singular persons but in societies citties kingdomes monarchies shall be brought downe Notvvithstanding vvrite it in tables and let it be a monument for the last day hovv gracious the Lord is towardes vngracious sinners Niniveh is threatned to be overthrowen and hath yet forty daies stinted to repent her in but vvho can number the yeares vvhich Niniveh hath enioyed aforetime yet God is content to sustaine the losse and profusion of all those and as he added in mercy 15. yeares to the life of Ezechias so to the life and being of Niniveh 40. daies The particle of remainder yet 40. daies doth woÌ„derfully set forth the bounty of God that albeit ten generations had past before and ten more succeeded vvithout fruit yet he woulde spare them thus much longer to try their amendment The people of the Iewes endured sufficiently in the vvildernes when he protested in the Psalme forty yeares long was I grieved with this generation not only provoked offended discontented but grieved at his very soule vvho could haue grieved all the vaines of their harts and taught them the price of angring so dreadfull a maiesty as his is In the prophecie of Ieremie he repeateth their disobedience from farther antiquity The children of Israell and the children of Iudah haue surelie done evill before mee from their youth and this city hath beene vnto mee a provocation of anger from the day that they first built it But I neede not labour to prooue the patience of God when the worst servant in his house confesseth it My master is gone into a farre countrey and vvill not returne in hast yea when the Athiest and skorner himselfe acknowledgeth no lesse For if they vvere not acquainted vvith his patience and long sufferance they vvoulde never haue called it slacknesse nor askt in derision for the promise of his comming nor taken advantage of impiety because al things had stoode in their state from the daies of their fathers nor put the evill daie farre from them and slaundered the footsteppes of Gods anointed sonne The time of this life is as the forty daies of Niniveh a time of repentance to some it is forty yeares as it was to
Israell in the desert to some not houres to others not minutes but their spirit departeth from them as Iacob vvent from Laban and the Israelites from the land of Egypt without leaue taking carrying away their iewels and treasures and vvhatsoever in this life is most deare vnto them O happie are they to vvhome this favour is lente vvhich vvas shewed to Niniveh yet forty daies for thy repentance But thrise most vvretched on the other side vvhome the Angell of God hath aunswered time shall be no more vnto thee the night is come wherein thou canst not worke the vision is ended the prophecy fulfilled the doores shut vp thy gracious visitation past who in the closing of an eie are pulled from the lande of the living their place is no more knowne Let me tell you for conclusion that which was spoken to Niniveh in this place vnder condition was afterwards simply pronounced by Nahum Niniveh was destroied indeede Tobias before his death hearde of the fall of Niniveh the monarchie that said within it selfe here will I dwell was translated into Babylon He that endured Ierusalem so longe was afterward so obstinate against it that if Moses and Samuell had stoode before him to aske her pardon hee woulde not haue beene entreated hee that forbare that froward and stubborne generation forty yeares long afterwards sware in his wrath that they should not enter into his rest And as he hath spared and spared and spared so hee will overturne and overturne and overturne Ezech 31. and as he hath added yet more houres and yet more yeares and yet forty daies so hee will add yet more plagues and yet more punishments and yet more vengeance According to his fearfull commination Levit. 26. I will yet plague you seven times more yet seven times more still with further repetition as there is no end of our sinnes so there is no end of his anger This were the preaching fitt for these times blessings must sleepe a while mercy go aside peace returne to the God of peace not be spoken of That reverend religious honest estimation which was of God in former times there is mercy with thee o Lord and therfore shalt thou be feared is now abandoned and put to flight This rather must be our doctrine there is iudgement with thee o Lord with thee o Lord there is ruine and subversion vvith thee are plagues o Lord with thee there is battaile and famine and snares and captivity storme tempest there is fire brimstone with thee O Lord therefore thou shalt be feared Happy are we if either loue or feare will draw vs to repentance if our marble and flinti heartes wil be softned with any raine that falleth if our stiffe and yron-sinued neckes will bow with any yoke either the sweete yoke of the gospell of Christ or the heavye vnsupportable yoke of the lawe and iudgement But if Niniveh continue as it hath begun Niniveh shall bee overthrowen I am not a prophet nor the sonne of a prophet to set the time either of forty or fifty daies or yeares more or lesse hee sitteth aboue to whome it is best knowne and is comming in the cloudes to determin that question But mercye and iustice I knowe are two sisters and as the one hath had her day so the other shall not misse hers and the Lord hath two armes two cuppes two recompences and doubtlesse there is a rewarde for the righteous and doubtlesse there is also a plague for obstinate and impoenitent sinners THE XXXIIII LECTVRE Chap. 3. vers 5. So the people of Niniveh beleeved God and proclaimed a fast c. THE third part of the fowre whereinto the Chapter divideth it selfe containeth the repentance of Niniveh continued vvithout interruption from the beginning of the fifth verse to the end of the ninth where it is ioifully embraced by the mercy and pardon of God towards her which was the last parte The first of these five which we are presently to deale with is the generall table contents of that which the other fowre diduce into speciall branches as Ezechiel first portraied the siege of Ierusalem vpon a bricke to give the people of the Iewes an image of that misery vvhich afterwardes they should finde distinctly and at large accomplished For whatsoever wee heare in the lineall succession of all the rest touching their faith fastes sackloth proclamations vvithout respect of person or age wee have broched vnto vs in this prooemiall sentence Their ordering and disposing of this weighty businesse of repentance with every office and service belonging vnto it is so comely convenient and with such arte as if David were to apoint the Levites and priestes of the temple their courses againe and to settle the singers and porters in their severall ministrations hee could not have shewed more wisedome and skilfulnes For such are the duties tendered to God by this people of Niniveh as were these officers of the temple Some principall others accessary some morall others ceremoniall some for substance others rather for shew and to set out the worke some to the soule belonginge others to the body and outward man And in all these the first have the first places the second and inferiour such as are fitte for them Faith goeth before works in worke fasting goeth before sackloth in the persons the greatest goeth before the lesse in the doinge of all this the proclamation of the king and counsaile goeth before the excecution of the people The army that Salomon spake of was never better set nor almost the starres of heaven better ordered then this conversion of Niniveh First they beleeved God For the Apostles rule admitteth no exception Without faith it is vnpossible to please God For he that commeth to God must beleeue that God is and not onely his being but in his nature and property that he is also a rewarder of them that seeke him This is the first stone of their building the first round of the ladder of Iacob whereby they climbe to the presence of God From faith which is an action of the minde they goe to the workes of the body Fasting and sackloth For faith cried within them as Rachel cried to Iacob giue mee children or I die Faith is hardely received and credited to be faith vnlesse it be testified For that is the touchstone that the Apostle trieth vs by Shew mee thy faith by thy workes So first they quicken the soule for faith is the life of it and then they kill the body by taking away the foode thereof wherein the life of the body consisted and buryinge it in a shrowde of sackloth In their workes they begin with fasting as it were the greater thinges of the lawe and end with sackecloth as the lesse For as Ierome noteth fasting is rather to be chosen without sackcloth then sackcloth without fastinge therfore is fasting put before sackecloth But if wee shall adioyne
from the 8. verse their turning from their evill waies and from the wickednesse of their handes which some expound of restitution wee shall see that they went from fasting and sackcloth to that which was more then both The persons are as rightly placed For they humble themselues from the greatest of them to the least of them which declareth not onely an vniversall consent that there was but one heart one soule one faith one fâ—st one attire amongst them all but that the king began the people were led by him and that olde menne gaue example to the younge parents to their children Lastly according to the wordes of the Psalme I beleeved therefore haue I spoken no sooner had they holde of faith in their heartes but their tongues are presently exercised nay their pens set one worke not onely to speake but to speake publiquely to speake vpon the house toppes by open proclamation that all might vnderstande and it is probable enough from the 7. verse that ill the proclamation was heard for order and obedience sake they did nothing More particularly 1. the radicall and fundamentall action wherewith they begin is faith 2. the obiect of that faith God 3. the effectes and fruites of their faith abstinence from tvvo vices the slaunder and reproch whereof Asia was famously subiect vnto 4. their generality in that abstinence 5. their warrant and commission for so doing by the edicte of the King I reserve to an other place So the people of Niniveh beleeved God When Ahiiah the prophet told Ieroboam that God shoulde raise vp a king in Israell to destroy his house not to leaue him in hope that the time was far off remooved hee correcteth himselfe with sudden and quicke demaunde and maketh the aunswere vnto it What yea euen now Did I saye hee shoulde nay it is already done So soone as the worde was gone from the mouth of Ionas yet 40. daies and Niniveh shall bee destroied vvithout pawsing and resting vpon the matter they beleeved God What yea even now It vvas so speedily done that almost it was lesse then imagination It is very straunge that a Gentile nation vvhich vvere ever alâ—ants from the common wealth of Israell and straungers from the covenants of promise should so soone be caught within these nettes For when prophets preach the mercies or iudgments of God so fatte are the eares and vncapable the hearts of the incredulous vvorlde much more when God is a straunger amongst them that they may preach amongst the rest as Esay did who hath beleeved our report or to whome is the arme of the Lord revealed either the gospell which is his power to salvation to them that beleeue or the lawe which is his rod of iron to crush them in pieces that transgresse it Rather as it is in Habbaccuk they will behold amongst the heathen and regarde and wonder and mervaile they vvill lend their eies to gaze their tongues to talke but with all they will despise and lightly esteeme all that is saide vnto them Beholde yee despisers and wonder at your vnbeliefe you that wonder so much yet despise For I will worke a worke in your daies saith the Lord yee will not beleeue it though it be told you The Lord vvill worke it prophets declare it and yet the people beleeue not Nay their manner of deriding and insulting at the iudgments of God is let him make speede let him hasten his worke that wee may see it and let the counsaile of the holy one draw neare and come that wee may know it And sometimes they plainely deny the Lorde and all his iudgements saying It is not hee neither shall the plague come vpon vs neither shall wee see sworde or famine And as for his prophets they are but wind and the word is not in them Moses and Aaron preached vnto Pharo not onely in the name of the Lord and with kinde exhortations let my people goe nor onely by threates and sentences of iudgement but by apparant plagues the effectuallest preachers that might bee by the tongues of frogges lice flies grashoppers of morraine botches darkenesse haile-stones bloud and death it selfe could not all these mooue him No but the first time hee returned into his house and hardened his heart and the second When he saw he had rest he hardned his heart againe and the thirde time his heart remained obstinate and likewise the fourth though Moses gaue him warning let not Pharaoh from hence-forth deceiue mee any more and so hee continued to his dying day building vp hardnesse of heart as high as ever Babell vvas intended even vp into heaven by denying and defying the God thereof till hee quite overthrew him in the red sea What shall vvee say to this but as the apostle doth All men haue not faith God sent his patriaâ—kes in the ancienter ages of the vvorlde and founde not faith sent his prophetes in a later generation and founde not faith Last of all sent his sonne a man approoved to the vvorlde and approoving his doctrine with great vvorkes and vvonders and signes and founde not faith and vvhen the sonne of man commeth againe shall hee finde faith on the earth So contrary it is to the nature of man to beleeue any thing that custome and experience hath not invred him with or may be coÌ„prehended by discourse of reason Yet this people of Niniveh having received you heare but one prophet and from that one prophet one sentence and but in one part of the citty skattered and sowen amongst them presently beleeved as if the Lord from heaven had thrust his fingers into their eares and hartes and by a miracle set them open It rather seemeth to haue beene faith of credulity which is heere mentioned yeelding assent to the truth of the prophecie then faith of affiance coÌ„fidence taking hold of mercy That is they first apprehend God in the faithfulnes of his word they knowe him to be a God that cannot lie they suspect not the prophet distrust not the message assuring themselues as certainly as that they liue that the iudgment shall fall vpon them without the iudges dâ—spensation Notvvithstanding there to haue staied without tasting some sweetenes of the mercy of God had ben little to their harts ease The devils beleeue and tremble They are reserved to the iudgment of the great daie and they keepe a kalender that they are reserved For they neither see nor heare of Iesus of Nazareth the iudge of the quicke and dead Angels and men death and hell but they are inwardly afflicted and aske why hee is come to vexe them before the time And surely to beleeue the truth of God in his iustice without aspect and application of mercy to teÌ„per it to consider nothing in that infinit supreme maiestie but that he is fortis vltor dominus the Lorde a strong revenger reddens retribuet hee that recompenceth will
vse of it I have heard of a nation of men I will not say that their neighbour-hoode hath a little infected England who when their king hath intended a feast for the honour of his country and entertainement of forraine Embassadours they on the other side have proclaimed a fast as if God had sent them an Embassage of the last iudgement I cannot deny them time but surely they tooke not a season for so doing I will proove the matter in hand in the next circumstance and ioine them both togither wherein I observed Secondly that it was an orderly fast because the king and his counsaile had first decreed it I toucht it a litle by occasioÌ„ of the former senteÌ„ce the words directly leading 〈◊〉 therevnto If any remaine as yet vnsatisfied first for mine owne purgation know ye that I speake not as the Lord of your faith but as one that had obtained mercy to be faithfull in my calling I shewed you mine opinion and iudgement 2. for the thing it selfe search the scriptures for they beare witnesse of the trueth whither these publique religious extraordinary fasts had not alwaies their authority emanation from publike persons In the 20. of the booke of Iudges the chosen souldiers of Israell which vvere taken by lot out of all their tribes to fight against Beniamin in the quarrell of the levite whose wife was shamefully abused and murdered they held a publique fast from morning vntill evening the cause was a slaughter which they had receved of forty thousand men and a conscience they made of fighting against Beniamin their brethren The authors of the fast are the rulers of the people who in the Original are called the corners and heades of the people In the 1. of Sam. 7. they fast publiquely they drew water saith the text even rivers of teares powred them out before the Lorde the appointment is from Samuell who iudged Israel in Mispah and the cause their idolatry committed to strange Gods the absence of the arke from them full twenty yeares In the 2. Chronic. 20. there is a fast proclaimed throughout all Iudah Iehosophat the king proclaimed it the cause was the sodaine comming of a great multitude from Ammon and Moab aad Aram to invade his kingdome Esdr. 8. there is likewise a publique fast summoned in their returne towards Ierusalem Esdras the high priest ordaineth it the reason is that God woulde directe them in their way and preserue themselues their children and goodes in safety Another Esther 4. which Esther gaue Mordecay in charge for now Mordecay was the man on whome the heartes of all the Iewes in Shusan depended at that time The cause that God would assist Esther who with the hazard of her head when her people vvere neare their vtter extirpation adventured her selfe to speake to the king in his inner court being not called before him Another Ieremy 36. In the daies of wicked Iehoikim who cut the booke of the Lord with a penknife and caused it to be burnt It was certainely proclaimed by order from some that might commaund For who else could assemble together all the people in Ierusalem and all the rest that came from the citties of Iudah without speciall authority yea Iezâ—bell her selfe though the daughter of Belial was not ignorant what the manner of those times was Shee proclaimed a fast in Iezrael where Nâ—both dwelt to rob him of his vineyard and to betraie his life but first shee sent letters in the kinges name and secondlye sealed them with the kinges seale and lastly directed them to the elders and nobles of Iezraell that they might put them in execution But the Phrases vsed in Ioel doe sufficiently determine the nature of this action Blow a trumpet in Sion sanctifie a fast call a solemne assemblie gather the people sanctifie the congregation gather the elders and all the inhabitants of the lande assemble the children and those that sucke the breastes let the bridegroome and the bride goe forth of their chamber Now what is a sanctified fast but that which is publikely called and established either by God himselfe Levit. 23. or by the magistrate Bishop or prophet or who hath authority to draw the people from their worke to gather the aged and sucklings and al the inhabitants of the country togither to apoint an holy day vnto the Lord to be spent in praiers sacrifices but only these governours As in a receipt of Physicke the ingredients may al be good yet is it not so warrantable vnto vs neither are we willing to meddle therwith vnlesse a professour of Physicke by his art and authority prescribe it so in a publike fast privately convented I said before that all the exercises were christian religious their praier preaching singing and distributing to the poore but as our saviour told the rich yong man in the gospell there is one thing wanting vnto thee if thou wilâ— bee perfect sell all that thou hast c. So there is one thing wanting vnto these and to give them their full perfection we must suffer the rulers of the common wealth to apoint them Chrisostome calleth fastinge a kinde of Physicke but Physicke may be profitable a thousand times yet be hurtfull at a time for want of skill to vse it therefore he would never have it done but congrua cum lâ—ge with all the lawes that agree vnto it and every circumstance of time quantity state of the body with the like precisely observed He applieth the Apostles similitude No man striving for a maistery is crowned vnlesse he strive lawfully so it may fall out that amiddest the paines and afflictions of fasting vvee may leese the crowne of it Zonaras hath a rule to the same purpose treating likewise of fastes Good is never good except it bee done in good sort And Cyprian in like manner It prooveth not well which is done of headinesse and without order The Thirde thinge in the fast of Niniveh is the vniversalitye of it for it vvas not onelye publique and open but included almost vvhatsoever breathed amongst them It concerned first men which is heere indefinitelye put signifying the whole kinde from the man of grayest haires to the tenderest infant and as you hearde before from the greatest to the smalest secondly Beastes yea all sortes of beastes great and small oxen horses sheepe goates and whatsoever cattell they had of any service Fourthly it was very strict for they are forbidden to feede I say not to glut themselues but they might not so much as tast perhappes not delicate meates no nor anye thinge it had beene enough to haue kept them from eating but neither might they drinke I say not wines and curious electuaries but not so much as water which their rivers and welles afforded them Fiftelye it was serious and vnfained not false and sophisticall as the manner of hypocrites is It appeareth by that that followeth in returning from
them redounde to their maisters and doe they not loose themselues by vveakening the bodies of their cattell through lacke of foode vvhereby not onelye their labour but also their fruite and encrease is hindered Lastly some tooke a pride in some kinde of beastes namely their horses vvhich I mentioned before and not onely fedde them with the best to keepe them fat and shining but cloathed them with the richest We read of Nero the Emperour of Rome that he shodde his mules with silver and of Poppaea Sabina that shee her horses with gold Bernard telleth Eugenius the Pope that Peter rode not vpon a white warre-like horse clad in trappings of golde And it is not vnlikelie but the kings of Niniveh did offende in the sumptuousnesse of their horses asmuch as the Emperours or Popes of Rome In these it was not amisse that their glorie and pompe should be abated howsoever it fared with the rest and that their bellies should be pinched with hunger which were pampered before and their backes cloathed with sack-cloath which were wont to be magnified with such costlie furniture These and such other reasons of their act as might be alleadged I let passe and come to the handling of the wordes themselues But let man and beast put on sacke-cloath The first member commaundeth the habite that their repentance must be cloathed with It was the manner of those times especially in the East partes if either they lost a friend or childe by death as Iacob his son Gen. 37. but rather for the losse of the favor of God and commonly when they repented their sinnes and sometimes when they praied not only to refuse their best garments as the children of Israell Exod. 33. When the Lorde tolde them that he would not goe himselfe but send an angell with them they sorrowed exceedingly and no man put on his best raiment sometimes to cut their cloathes as Iosu. 7. sometimes to rend them from their backs as Ioel. 2. but insteed thereof to take vnto themselues the vncomfortablest weedes and fashions that might be devised For besides their wearing of sacke-cloath they would sit vpon the ground and in ashes as the friendes of Iob and not only sit but wallow in dust and ashes as the daughter of Ierusalem is willed to doe Ierem. 6. and claspe the handes vpon the heade and sprinkle ashes vpon it as Tamar did 2. Sam. 12. and their haire as their mannes is described Amos 8. and finally take vppe an howling and make an exquisite lamentation as one that shoulde mourne for her onelie sonne In all which and such like outwarde observaunces I like the iudgemente of a learned Divine that they are neither commaunded by God nor by GOD forbidden and are not so properly workes as passions not sought or affected or studied for but such as in sorrowe or feare or the like perturbations offerre themselues and are consequent of their owne accordes as helpes to expresse vnto the world our inwarde dispositions So when we pray vnto God wee bowe the knees of our bodies lie vpon our faces cast vp our eies to heaven smite vpon our breasts with the like ceremonies In all which praier is the substance and worke intended and these though we thinke not of them come as a kinde of furniture and formality if I may so speake to set it foorth The â—â—â—nesse of the spirite draweth the whole body into participation of the griefe making it carelesse of the foode and negligent in the attire that belongeth vnto it And if ever they be alone these shaddowes and dumbe shewes I meane of sacke-cloath and mourning without their body of toward contrition as they fasted in Esay from meate and were prowde of their fast Why haue wee fasted and thou regardest it not but not from strife and oppression and the prophetes in Zachary ware a rough garment but it was to deceiue with then is our thankes with God the same that he gaue to Israel in the place before mentioned Is this the fast that I haue chosen that a man should afflict his soule for a daie and â—owe downe his heade like a bull-rush and lie in sack-cloath and ashes wilt thou call this a fasting or an acceptable daie vnto the Lorde or is not this rather the fasting that I haue chosen insteede of forsaking thy meate to deale thy breade to the hungrie and for sacke-cloath about thy loines to cover thy naked brethren and not to hide thine eies from thine owne flesh And as of sacke-cloath and fasting so wee may like wise say of crying which was the voice of repentaunce For was it the neying of horses lowing of oxen and bullockes lamentation of men eiulation of women and children mingling heaven and earth togither with a confusion of out-cries that could enforce the LORDE aboue to giue them aâ—dience doubtlesse no. For the praier of this people a shielde against the iudgement of GOD which nature it selfe thrust into the handes of the marriners before and heere of the Ninivites yea that obstinate king of Egypt which sette his face against heaven and confronted the GOD thereof vvas glad to flie vnto it Pray vnto the LORD for me and my people that this plague maie departe and Simon the sorcerer who deceived the worlde with his enchauntmentes thought it the onelie charme vvhereby the mercy of God mighte be procured though it bee reported of by as speciall notes as praier may bee honoured with 1. for the manner of it that it was vehemente and forcible They cryed 2. for the grounde invvarde and intentionall They cryed mightilie and from the bottome of their heartes 3. for the obiect right and substantiall They cryed vpon GOD yet if their words and works purpose and performance had not kissed each other if with their lips alone they had honoured God without their heartes or with their heartes alone without their handes as we haue to consider in the nexte wordes they had soone beene aunswered as a people better favoured than themselues were Esay the first Though you stretch out your handes I vvill hide mine eies from you and though you make many praiers I vvill not heare you The Gentiles Matthew the sixte vsed longe speech and much babling and thought to bee hearde for that cause but they lived as Gentiles The Scribes and the Pharisees in the same place praied also not as the Gentiles to vnknowne GODS but to the God of the Hebrews they cryed Lorde Lorde with often inclamation yea they stood and praied not onely in their houses but in the synagogues and corners of the streetes to appeare to men and no doubt to be hearde of men and they vsed likewise longe praiers Luke the twentieth as the Gentiles did yet they were but hypocrites and the portion of hypocrites was reserved for them And this is your meede looke for it hypocrites as you looke for summer vvhen you see the blooming of the figge-tree when you pray as if
himselfe though at the first he denied his crime yea I haue obeyed the voice of the Lorde yet afterwardes he confessed I haue sinned in transgressing his commaundemente and he desired Samuell to take away his sinne and to returne with him that hee might worshippe the Lorde which when Samuell refused hee then altered his speech yet turne with mee I praie thee and honour me before the elders of my people and before Israell So that his principall care was not the service of GOD but honour and estimation in the sight of men Such the repentance of Ahab 1. King 21. who having heard the wordes of Elias thundering the iudgements of God against him and his house hee rent his clothes and put sacke-cloath vpon him and fasted and lay in sacke-cloath and went softlie but how temporary and feigned his repentance was may appeare in the next Chapter by his despitefull dealing with Micheas Such is the repentance of those who are not rightly perswaded of the pardon of their sinnes fitter for Philistines and reprobates than Christians and to be vsed in Ashdod or Ascalon than at Ierusalem The coniunction of faith and repentance is so close that some haue thought it to be a part of repentance I rather take it to bee the beginner and leader thereof As the body and soule though they are ioyned togither in the same man yet is not the body a parte of the soule nor the soule of the bodie but both distinct so faith hope and charitie if they bee true they are narrowly lincked one to the other yet naturally and essentially severed For finall resolution whereof you may best satisfie your selues by proofe from this place For although this sentence which I haue in hand be the last of the mandate in order and disposition of wordes yet is it first in proposall For if they had asked in Niniveh a reason of the king and his counsaile vvhy they shoulde bid them fast and weare sacke-cloath about their flesh sparing neither beast nor sucklinges vvhy they shoulde adde affliction and miserie to miserie as if it vvere not sufficient to be plagued by the handes of God at the time prefixed but they must plague themselues and their cattle fourty daies before hand having but a handfull of daies in comparison to enioie their liues and to take their pleasure in earthlye commodities or why they shoulde cry vnto the Lorde and not bee hearde and forsake their wickednesse and not bee pardoned the reason of all this is alleadged in this Epilogue vvho can tell if the Lord vvill turne and repent It cannot lightly bee worse it may bee better with vs the doinge of these dueties to God will not put vs nearer to our iudgemente it may sende vs farther of vvee are sure to bee overthrowen if we repent not wee may repente and happily escape it it is but the leaving of our meate and drinke for a time who must leaue both belly and meate too the missing of our better garmentes who must misse our skinnes and our flesh from our backes if wee vse our tongues in crying wee loose nothing by it and if we wash our handes and cleanse our consciences from iniquity we shall goe the lighter to our iudgement Who can tell it is the nature and property of God to shew pitty vnto the whole world and although Niniveh bee the sincke of the earth why not to Niniveh Some chandge the reading and insteede of quis novit who knovveth they put qui novit hee that knovveth connecting the sense vvith that which went before in this manner let everie man turne from his evill vvay and from the vvickednesse that is in their handes qui novit who knovveth so to doe and is not ignoraunte what belongeth to such a chandge or thus he that is privie in his hearte of any wickednes committed against God or 〈◊〉 an publique or private let him amende it The instruction from so translating it is good though the translation it selfe bee mistaken that knowledge must ever goe before the face of repentaunce Knowledge I meane not onely in kinde to distinguish sinne from sinne and to call them all by their proper names but by number and weight howe many howe grievous they are howe farre they extende to the annoyance of the earth provocation of heaven breach of christian charitie and strikinge at the maiestie of God himselfe Thus hee acknowledged his sinne in the gospell who spake in his hearte before hee did it and therefore was not ignoraunt what hee went aboute I vvill goe to my father and saie I haue sinned yea but not a simple sinne I haue sinned a mightye and manifolde transgression I haue sinned against heauen I haue also sinned against thee against the father of my spirite against the father of my flesh against him that gaue me his law against thee that gavest mee my nature both the tables haue I broken by my misdeedes and whatsoever dueties I had to perfourme those haue I violated by mine vnnaturall disobedience If you obserue the order of all the repentances in the booke of GOD vvhither in Moabite Edomite Egyptian or in the people of God they ever began with the knowledge of their sins that as the first argument of life which the widowes son of Naim gaue was this he began to speake so in this spirituall resuscitation from the death of the soule the first token of their recovery was the acknowledgement and confession of their misdoing The voice of Pharaoh Exod. 10. was I haue sinned against the Lord your God The voice of Balaam Num. 22. when he saw the Angell in his way I haue sinned The voice of Saul to Samuel 1. Sam. 15. I haue sinned and 1. Sam. 26. when hee saw the kindnesse of David towardes him I haue sinned The voice of David to Nathan 2. Sam. 12. I haue sinned 2. Sam. 24. to God after the numbering of the people I haue sinned Nay valde peccavi I haue exceedingly sinned in that I haue done And it is further added that his hearte smote him vvhen he had done it And when afterwardes he felt the smiting of the Lorde with plainer demonstration and with clearing the whole lande besides Ego sum qui peccavi ego sum qui iniquè egi It is I and only I which haue done wickedlie The voice of Iob in the seventh of his booke I haue sinned The voice of Daniell in behalfe of himselfe their kinges princes fathers of every man of Iudah and the inhabitantes of Ierusalem and of all Israell both neare and farre of was vvee haue sinned and committed iniquitie and done vvickedlie and rebelled and departed from thy preceptes and not obeyed thy servauntes the prophetes and nothinge saue open shame appertaineth vnto vs. We heare no ende of accusation iniquitie vpon sinne wickednes vpon iniquity rebellion vpon wickednes and still a further proceeding in the testification of their vnrighteousnesse VVhen Ezra hearde that the people of the captivitie were mingled with
the heathen hee rente his cloathes and plâ—ckte of the haire of his heade and bearde and sate astonied vntill the evening sacrifice at vvhat time hee arose againe and fell vpon his knees and spread out his handes vnto the Lord his God and saide O my God I am confounded and ashamed to lifte mine eies vnto thee my God for our iniquities are encreased over our heade and our trespasse is growen vp into the heaven As the manner of auncienter times was when heavinesse and trouble was vpon them to call for women and others that were most skilfull in mourning so they that will learne to repente and are not cunning in the art thereof let them repaâ—re to Esdras and such like who were most skilful in repenting O how available saith Ambrose are three syllables peccavâ— is but three syllables but the flame of an harty sacrifice ascendeth therein into heaven and fetcheth downe three thousand blessings Christ came not to call the righteous but sinners to repentaunce Sinners then all even the greatest Princes and rulers of the Iewes for they the greatest sinners No. but sinners in sense and conscience sinners in action and plea against themselues sinners in iudgement from their owne mouthes and against their owne heades these are they to whom Christ hath designed the medicine and restoratiue of his saving health According to his curteous invitation Mat. 11. Come vnto me all yee that travaile and labour not you that loiter with your sinnes and trifle with my iudgements you that beare your iniquities like strawes or corke seeke you other pardoners come you that are weary and are loaden with the burthen thereof I will refresh you The poore Publicane Luk 18. was one of those patients that tasted of such mercies he stood a far of not daring to approach vnto God that God might approach vnto him nor to lift vp his eies vnto heaven which hee had mooved to anger against him but smiting vpon his sinnefull brest as the arke of all iniquity and punishing himselfe with stripes that the Lorde might forbeare to punish him with a fearfull heart and trembling tongue called vpon his Saviour O Lorde bee mercifull vnto mee a sinner I saie not thy creature or servant or childe but onely a sinner my whole composition is sinne whatsoever I am in body or soule so far as my manhoode and humanity goeth a sinner and not onelie by mine office calling because I am a Publicane but even by nature and kinde it selfe a sinner So did Mary Magdelen in the seventh of the same Evangelist of whom there is no more reported but that she was a sinner as if the spirite of God had forgotten her other names wheÌ„ she heard that Iesus was come into a Pharisees house 1. She stood at his feete 2. behinde him 3. weeping 4 she began to wash as if she durst not go on but did often retract and pull backe her handes 5. the lowest part of his body his feete 6. with her teares though the water of the brooke had beene humanity enough 7. did wipe them not with the lappe of her coate but with the haires of her head 8. kissed them and lastly anointed them with a boxe of ointment O how precious an ointment flowed from her heart eies how odorâ—ferous wel-pleasing vnto Christ who made her apologie not only against the Pharisee in preferring her kindnesse before the entertainement of his house but against Satan and the power of hell in forgiving her many sinnes The like submissiue behaviour we read of the woman which had the issue of bloud for she also came behinde Christ as Mary Magdelen did avoiding the sharpnes and pearsing of his eagles eie and touched the hemme of his garment for shee saide in her selfe I dare not be so rude and vnmannerly to presse him as the multitudes did if I may but touch not embrace him nay his garment the very hemme of his garment no vpper or honorable part thereof I shall be whole In all these humble and skilfull repentances as of those who knew their sinnes by heart were able to set downe their ful catalogue what successe doe we finde That vertue went out from Christ to this woman and many sinnes were remitted to the other the Publicane went home to his house iustified the children of the captivity were delivered the last daies of Iob vvere blest more than the first David at one time had his sinne translated at another the punishment mitigated the Lorde himselfe crying vnto his Angell It now sufficeth hold thy hande yea Balaam and Pharoah themselues fared the better for the false fire and but blazing of repentance Happy therefore is that conscience to conclude with the saying of Bernard vvherein trueth and mercy meete togither The trueth of him that confesseth his sinnes and the mercy of God that pardoneth them For mercy can never bee wanting vnto that soule which truely knoweth it selfe Others in a far greater number with far better reason expresse it by an interrogation who knoweth and make it a sentence absolute and compleate in it selfe without referring it to the former wordes Then they make this construction of it it may be the Lorde will turne or peradventure haue mercy vpon vs. They put it with ambiguity that while men doubt of salvation they may be the more earnest in repentance and seeke the better meanes to provoke God to mercie And surelie as doubting is the mother they say of enquiring for a man that doubteth not will never aske so some kinde of doubtfulnesse is the mother or at leastwis the nurse of repentance Ierome whose note the former was writing vpon the second of Ioel who knoweth of the Lord will returne and leaue a blessing behinde him expoundeth the prophet least happily the greatnesse of the clemencie of God shoulde make vs negligent therfore the prophet subioineth who knoweth So that it seemeth those tearmes of vncertainty are not in any sort to admit or allowe of doubting of salvation but rather to keepe vs from presumption We al know the mischiefe of that heady sinne Many are hindered saith Augustine froÌ„ their strength by presuming on their strength The collection that Pomeran maketh vpon these words is rather to iustifie than to condemne the Ninivites So far was it of that they had any confidence in their works that they rather doubted of the mercy of God and they were saved by faith who if they had rested vpon their owne merites must needs have despaired And he removeth all diffidence from the king and his nobles as if they included not themselves in the speech who knoweth if the Lord will returne but only spake it vnto the people in this sense In these dreadfull frightes and perplexities being encountered with 3. sore mischiefes at once atrocity of your sins shortnes of time greatnes of destruction none of you knoweth of the mercy of God as we doe and therefore vvee
deliveraunce of Niniveh whither revealed and by a propheticall spirite discovered before the tearme of 40. daies or to the expiration of them differred I cannot say 2. The reprehension rebuke which God vseth against him for that affection both by speech doest thou well to bee angry and by fact in confuting him by a reall similitude of a gourde soone sprunge vp as easily withered And as Ionas repeateth his impatience so God walketh with an even pace by him repeateth his reproofes 3. The conclusion or scope which God referred himselfe vnto Not the forbearing of the city which was already past but the iustification of his goodnes therein For first he did it of fact as they say and then defended the right of it The affection of Ionas is generally recited in the first verse and more particularly displaied in the rest touching his speech gesture carriage of himselfe in all pointes So it displeased Ionas exceedingly What displeased him Turne backe your eies to the epilogue of the former Chapter God repented him of the evill he did it not This is it that so much disquieteth Ionas that seemeth so evill very evill as the Hebrew hath in his vnmercifull eies rather this was evill very evill in the heart of Ionas For why is Ionas so exceedingly displeased that God hath spared Niniveh It had beene fault enough in Ionas not to haue blessed and embraced the mercy of God towards Niniveh to haue given testimony vnto it But to go so far from renowming it that he condeÌ„neth it in his iudgement so far in condeÌ„ning it that he is grieved at the heart and so far in grieving that he holdeth no measure stint therein but doeth exceedingly vexe himselfe this was a sore offence Had Ionas receaved mercy himselfe and doth Ionas envy mercy to others Did hee know by experience in his owne person what it was to be driven froÌ„ the land of the living to bee cast into the mouth of destruction to loose the favour of God and hath he no sparkle of charity lefte no graine of compassion to weigh with himselfe the destruction of this great citty Avexation saith Basâ—l without all reason Vnhappy man why art thou troubled so having felt no harme I would rather haue thought if neede had beene that Ionas would haue stood for Niniveh being a prophet and so lately plucked from the fire himselfe as Abraham did for Sodome If there shal be ten righteous men found in Niniveh destroy it not For what els is the ioy crowne of a Prophet Apostle any messenger of Christ in this service emploide but the winning saving of soules converting men vnto righteousnes translatinge them from darkenes into light a blessing froÌ„ God vpon his labours an encrease vpon the seede he hath sowen which others would speÌ„d their daies consume their bodies ieopard their liues to obtaine when Ionas obtained it with ease in the compasse of a short time The parable of the Lord the labourers which wrought in the vineyard thus far accordeth to Ionas Take that which thine is I doe thee no wrong is it not lawfull for me to doe with mine owne as it pleaseth me Is thine eie evill because I am good I will giue to this last as much as to the first to this least as much as to the greatest to a Gentile as much as to an Israelite to Niniveh as much as to thy selfe You see the nature of envy the honour prosperity wealth and whatsoever is good in an other sometimes life it selfe it repineth at fruitfull encrease full vdders in the fields and beastes of any man it pineth with 't filleth men to the eies and in the eies it sitteth and by those windowes looketh forth and whersoever it seeth a blessing it is sicknes and death vnto it if God curse it not And it is true that Basile noteth of envie A Scythian seldome maliceth an Aegyptian They spend their despight for the most part within the same countrey same kinred same professioÌ„ same benefite as Ionas envieth Niniveh for communicatinge vvith him in the mercy of the Lord. According to that vvisedome vvhich God gaue to man to call thinges by their right names so is the name of envy either because it will not see at all that which in the blessinges of God is to be seene or because it prieth too deepe into them It was the first vemine which the devill powred forth against mankinde Hince perijt primus per didit By this he first perished himselfe destroied others What els was the cause that Caine lifted vp his hande against his brother Abell robbed himselfe almost of his onely comforte in that new-borne vvorld But that the gifte of his brother was accepted to God his owne reiected vpon this he was very wroth his countenaÌ„ce fell downe as not able to endure the sight of his brother his anger was not satisfied with bloud Did the brethreÌ„ of Ioseph go home to their old father Iacob and bring him into an errour that a vvicked beast had devoured the childe and that Ioseph was surely torne in pieces A wicked beast had devoured him indeede and Ioseph was torne in pieces by the envie of his brethren Israell looved Ioseph more than all his other sonnes therefore they hated him and could not speake peaceably vnto him And Ioseph dreamed a dreame and tolde it to his brethren therefore they hated him so much the more This vvas the wicked beast that cast him into the pit where their meaning was to haue sterved him to death and to haue kept his bloud secret as appeareth by the speech of Iudah and but that Reuben perswaded the contrary with their owne handes they had taken his life from him Because the women sange in the streetes Saul hath slaine his thousande David his ten thousande therefore was Saule exceedinglie vvroth and it is saide that Saule had an eie to David from that day forwarde It was a venemous mischievous eie such as the burning eies of witches or the Basiliske or Gorgon that he cast towardes him The elder brother Luke 15. when he heard melodie and dauncing in his fathers house and knevve what it ment and that his father had killed the fat calfe to welcome home his lost sonne he was angry at the matter and woulde not goe in but that his father went out and entreated him He omitted no argument of exprobration his service for many yeares without breach of any commaundement and not the gifte of a kid by vvay of recompence he saith not wastfully to spend but to make merry amongest his friendes when the other that had devoured his goodes with harlots must be entertained with the fat calfe Examine the reason why innocency it selfe was hunted and followed to death with crucifie him crucifie him he is not worthy to liue and Barrabas set at liberty and let Pilate be the
pleasure in Though I speake with the tongues of men angelles and haue not charity I am as sounding brasse or a tinckling cymball though I had the gift of prophecy and knew all secrets and knowledge yea if I had all faith so that I coulde remooue mountaines and had not charity 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 before I was little I was but a sound now I am nothinge What can we lesse pronounce of the prayer of Ionas though one that spake with the tongue of a man in coÌ„parison of other men the tongue of an angell a tongue of the learned a tongue refined like silver though one that had the gift of prophecy and knewe as many misteries of knowledge as was expedient for flesh and bloud to be acquainted with one that had faith enough to saue him in the bottome of the seas the bottome of the mountaines the bottome belly of a monstrous fish but that the want of loue was sufficient to haue lost the blessing grace of all his hearts desires And said I pray thee O Lorde was not this my saying c. Consider now I beseech you what he prayed and therein howe long it is before hee commeth to the matter intended a foolish and vnnecessary discourse interposed of his owne praise but his subiection to the wil of God not thought vpon For what is the substaÌ„ce of his prayer that which is inferred after a loÌ„g preface therfore I pray thee take away my life from mee hee strengthneth it by reason for it is better for me to die than to liue Why better the cause of this commodiousnes and convenience are contained in the prolocution in those frivolous vaine speeches that are first laide downe I beseech thee was not this my saying c. Asmuch as to say I was thrust forth into a charge which from the first houre I had never liking vnto wherin I thought said and resolved to my selfe from the very beginning that I should be deceived Admit all this Say thou foresawest it and that the end would bee other than thou lookedest for oughtest thou therfore to haue refused thy message a necessity was laid vpon thee and thou mightest well assure thy selfe that woes would haue lighted vpon thee as many as the haires of thy head if thou didst it not Leaue the event to God let him vse his floore at his pleasure whither hee gather into the barne or skatter as the dust of the earth do thou the office of a prophet Againe thou sentest me to denounce a iudgment thou meantest nothing but wel vnto theÌ„ I preached righteousnes and severity thou art a gracious God and full of pitty I made their accounts perfect and straight that destruction should fal vpon them at the end of forty daies thou takest a pen of thy mercy and dashest thy former writing writest theÌ„ a longer day yeares and generations to come I know not how many Vpon this he concludeth therefore now O Lord take away my life c. But we will weigh the conclusion when we come to it Mean-time we must rip vp his former speaches which were of preparatioÌ„ making the way to his suit before haÌ„d Peruse theÌ„ who will he shal finde them fuller of affections than words and such a bundell of errors wrapt togither as one would hardly haue imagined in a prophet Wherein by a blind selfe-liking loue to his owne wit iudgement he is carried from reason truth obedience from that reverent estimation which he should haue had of God For howe often in so short a space doth he challendge wisedome to himselfe I beseech thee O Lord I appeale to thine own coÌ„scieÌ„ce speake but truth be not partiall in thine owne cause was not this my saying I am able to alleadge particulars I can remember the time and the place when I was yet in my countrey therefore I prevented it If I had had mine own will I had stopt this inconvenience for I was not to learne that thou vvast a gracious God there was no pointe of fore-sight wherein I mistooke Thus his saying his providence his prevention his knowledge these are the thinges that hee standeth to much and to long vpon Thy saying Ionas or my saying or the saying of any mortall man what are the wordes of our lippes or the imaginations of our harts but naughtie foolish peruerse from our youth vp if God direct them not or vvhat thy prevention and forecast or of all thy companions prophets or prophets children in the world to knowe what to morrow will bring vpon you or the closing vp of the present day vnlesse some wisdome from heaven cast beames into your mindes to â—llighten them As Elizeus directed the hand of Ioash the king of Israell to shoote and the arrow of Gods deliverance followed vpon it and so often as he smote the ground by the apointment of the prophet so often and no longer he had likelihoode of good successe so the Lord must direct our tongues hearts in all that proceedeth froÌ„ them and where his holy Spirit ceaseth to guide vs there it vvill bee verified that the prophet hath Surelie everie man is a beast by his owne knowledge Therefore the advise of Salomon is good Trust in the Lorde vvith all thine hearte and leane not vnto thy vvisedome in all thy waies acknovvledge him and he shall direct thy pathes Be not wise in thine owne eies and feare the Lorde and departe from evill so shall health bee to thy navell and marrow to thy bones You haue heard the counsaile of the wise nowe ioine vnto it for conclusion the iudgment of the most righteous Wâ—e vnto them that are wise in their owne eies and prudent in their owne sight Wisedome presumed you see and drawne from the cisterne of our owne braine is in the reputation of God as the sinnes of covetousnesse oppression drunkennes and such like and standeth in the crew of those damned and wretched iniquities which God accurseth I pray thee I like the note that Ierome giveth vpon this place he tempereth his complaint because in some sort he accuseth God of iniustice For this cause he sweetneth the accusatioÌ„ with faire flattering speach For to haue challendged God in grosse blunt tearms had bin to apparant therfore he commeth with a plausible glosing insinuation vnto him I pray thee O Lord for remembring that fearful name of his Iehova wherein he saw nothing but maiesty dreadfulnes could he do lesse than entreate him if he had spoken but to the king of Niniveh in whose dominions he was or to Ieroboam the second who raigned in his own natiue couÌ„try the very regard of their persons and place would haue enforced him so much It was the couÌ„saile that AEsop gaue to Solon enquiring what speach he should vse before Croesus either verye little or very sweete For a prince is pacified with curtesie and
yet be more vile and low in our owne eies and rather than these names shall die and be out of vse we will weare them vpon our garments and if you were sparing to yeeld them vnto vs we would desire you for Christes sake and as you tender our credite not to tearme vs otherwise The Iewes who thought they mocked Christ vvhen they bowed their knees and cried Haile king of the Iewes they knew not vvhat they did they did him an honour and favour against their willes for he was king of the Iewes and of the Gentiles also whatsoever their meaning is who thinke to nicke-name vs by obiecting these names which we will leaue to the censuring of the righteous Iudge in heaven vve embrace them honour them and heartily thanke God for them and desire that they may be read and published in the eares of the world as the most glorious titles of our commission The Angelles of God are ministring spirites and sent forth to minister for the elects sake Christ Iesus himselfe came to minister not to bee ministred vnto We will therefore say as the Apostle said 2. Cor. 11. Ministri sunt plus ego Are Christ and his Angels and all the Apostles of Christ ministers we speake like fooles in the deeming of the world we also will be ministers of the gospell and if it were possible we would bee more than ministers O honourable ministerie what government rule and dominion is it not superiour vnto I conclude with the same Apostle though I shoulde boast somevvhat more of our authoritie vvhich is given vnto vs for edification and not for destruction I shoulde haue no shame By this discourse it may appeare vnto you if this were a motiue in the minde of Ionas as some both Iewes and Christians conceiue how grievous it seemed vnto him to be held in iealousie for deceipt in his calling that any in the world should be able iustly to taxe him for a false prophet and one that prophecied lies in the name of GOD. Notwithstanding the matter is quickely aunswered For whatsoever the event had beene the voice of the Lorde was in reason to haue beene obeyed 1. It was no new thing to be so accompted of it was the portion of Moses and Samuell and Elias before him and thence-forth as many as ever spake vnto the daies of Iohn Baptist which came with the spirit of Elias they haue drunke of the same cuppe and not onely the servauntes but the sonne and heire hath beene dealt with in like manner A Prophet is not without honour saue in his owne countrey Ionas might haue said to himselfe as Elias in another case I am no better than my fathers Thus were we borne and ordained to approoue our selues in all kinde of patience by honour and dishonour by good reporte and evill reporte as deceavers and yet beholde vvee are true and deceiue not The world was never more fortunate for prophets than thus to reward them flatterers may breake the heades of men with their smooth oiles but the woundes that prophets giue haue never escaped the hardest iudgements 2. Why should Ionas feare the opinion of men his duty being done the very conscience of his fact simply and truely performed would haue beene a towre of defence and a castle vnto him It is a verie small thinge for me to be iudged of you or of mans iudgemente for I knowe nothinge by my selfe c. Hee doth not say It is nothing vnto mee but it is a very small thing I esteeme my name somevvhat but I stande more vpon my conscience This is our reioycing the testimony of our conscience that in simplicitie and puritie vvee haue beene conversant in the vvorlde VVhen the princes had given sentence vpon Ieremy this man is vvorthie to die hee aunswered them the Lorde hath sent mee to prophecy against this house therefore amende your vvaies that the Lorde may repente him of the plague vvhich hee hath pronounced against you as for mee beholde I am in your handes doe vvith mee as you please but knovve yee for certainty that if you put mee to death you shall bring innocent bloude vpon your selues for of a trueth the Lorde hath sent mee vnto you to speake all these wordes in your eares This is the brasen wall the soundnes of the cause and the assurance of the conscience which all the malignant tongues cannot pearse through Let the worlde be offended with vs in these latest and sinnefullest times because the tenour of our message is either to sharpe or to sweete to hote or to colde for it can hardelie bee such as may please this way-warde wotld let Satan accuse vs before God and man daie and night yet if wee can say for our selues as the Apostle did Rom. 9. Wee speake the trueth in Christ wee lie not our consciences bearing vs witnes in the holy Ghost who is not onlye the witnesse but the guide and inspirer of our consciences it is a greater recompence than if al the kingdomes of the earth were given vnto vs. 3. He coulde not bee ignoraunt that the truth of God mighte stande though the event followed not because many of the iudgementes of God as I haue else-where said are denoūced with condition In the place of Ieremy before mentioned when the priestes and people so greedily thirsted after his death some of the elders stoode vp and spake to the assembly in this sort Micah the Morashite prophecied in the daies of Hezekiah king of Iuda saying thus saith the Lord of hostes Sion shal bee ploughed like a fielde c. Did Hezekiah put him to death did hee not rather feare the Lorde and prayed before the Lorde and the Lorde repented him of the plague thus vvee mighte procure greate evill against our selues You know the collection those elders make that the iudgement vvas conditional and vpon their vnfeigned repentaunce mighte bee otherwise interpreted Thus much Ionas vvas not to learne for why did he knovv that God vvas a mercifull God but to shew the effects of mercy and the Ninivites themselues had an happye presumption thereof as appeareth by their former speech 4. He was not to stay longe in Assyria if hee had suspected their suspicions Lastly there was no such thinge to bee feared for by that publique acte of conversion which all the orders and states of the citty agreed vpon it is manifest that they received the preaching of Ionas as the oracle of almightie God they beleeved God and his Prophet as the children of Israell 1. Sam. 12. feared the Lorde and Samuell exceedinglie For what greater argument touching their good and reverente opinion of Ionas coulde they giue than their speedy and hearty repentance whereby they assured him that they esteemed not his vvorde as a fable or as a iestinge songe but as a man sent from God and fallen downe from heaven bringing a two edged sworde in his lippes either to kill or to saue so they received him And
to Christ vnder the colour of a kisse so to tender his impatient fittes vnto the Lord the searcher of his heart reines vnder the nature and forme of prayer His anger at an other time and in another action when hee had sequestred his soule from the king of heaven and heavenly things had beene more sufferable But then to pray vvhen hee vvas thus angry or then to bee angry vvhen hee came to pray and not to slake the heate thereof but still to heape on outragious wordes as hote as Iuniper coles can no way bee excused Yet thus hee doth The fire is kindled in his heart and the sparkles fly forth of the chimney as Salamon spake vndutifull speaches towards the maiesty of God and most vnaturall against his owne life Surely the wrath of man doth not accomplish the righteousnes of God it is very far form it 2 Consider his haste how headlong hee goeth in his rash and vnadvised request For as if the case required some such speede as the prophet had in chardge for the annointing of Iehu powre the boxe vpoÌ„ his head and say thus saith the Lord and then open the dore and flee without tarrying no sooner hath he opened his lippes or conceived his suit in his minde but the Lord must presently and without delay effect it It appeareth in that he vrdgeth the matter so closely at Gods hands Now therefore since I haue prooved it and I am not able to beare the burthen of my griefe nor longer endure the tediousnes of my life doe it without protraction of time It was a goodly and sober oration that Iudith made to her people of Bethulia touching their oath to deliver the cittie to the enemie vvithin fiue daies vnlesse the LORDE sent helpe And novve vvho are you that haue tempted God this daie and set your selues in the place of GOD amonge the children of men Nay my brethren provoke not the Lorde our God to anger For if hee vvill not helpe vs vvithin these fiue daies hee hath povver to defend vs vvhen hee vvill even every day or to destroy vs before our enemies Doe not you therefore binde the counsailes of the LORDE for God is not as man that hee may bee threatned neither as the sonne of man that hee may bee called to iudgement Therefore let vs waite for salvation of him and call vppon him to helpe vs and hee vvill heare our voice if it please him Thus we should teach and exhorte our selues in all our praiers not to set him a time as the disciples did about the kingdome of Israell vvhen LORDE or as Ionas doeth in this place novve Lorde or then Lorde but vvhen it pleaseth him And as the Psalme adviseth vs O tarrie the LORDES leasure hope in the Lorde and bee stronge and hee shall comforte thine hearte when hee thinketh good There are many reasons why God differreth to graunt our petitions 1. to prooue our faith vvhither we will seeke vnlawfull meanes by gadding to the woman of Endor or the idoll of Ekron or such like heathenish devises 2. to make vs thoroughly privie to our own infirmities and disabilities that wee may the more heartily embrace his strengh 3. to strengthen and confirme our devotion towardes him for delay extendeth our desires 4. to make his giftes the more welcome and acceptable to vs or 5. it is not expedient for vs to haue them granted too soone Or lastly there is some other cause which God hath reserved to his owne knowledge Now this petition which Ionas is so forward hasty in is contrary to all reason For are not the daies of man determined Iob. 14. is not the number of his monethes with the Lord and hath not the Lord set him boundes which he cannot passe Doth not an other say My times are in thine handes O Lord why then doth Ionas so greedily desire to shorten his race to abridge that number of time which his Creator hath set him 3. We commonly pray that it wil please the Lord to give not to take away to bestow something vpon vs not to bereave vs of any blessing of his SalomoÌ„ 1. Kin. 3. beseecheth him for wisedome Giue vnto thy servant an vnderstanding heart da mihi intellectum giue me vnderstanding was the vsuall request of his father David We say in our daily praier giue vs this day our daily bread forgiue vs our trespasses that is give vs remission of all our sins That that is said to descend from above from the father of lights is 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 and 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 giving and gift not taking away For God hath a bountifull nature and as liberall an hand he openeth it at lardge and filleth every living thing with his blessing Hee asketh of every creature in the world what hast thou that thou hast not receaved and of vs that have receaved the first fruites of his spirite and to whome he hath given his sonne what is there in the world that you may not receaue But Ionas is earnest with God against the accustomed manner of prayer and the course of Gods mercies to take something from him 4. But what Aufer-opprobrium take from mee shame and rebuke vvhereof I am afraide as David besought Vanitatem verba mendacia longè fac à me vanitye and lyinge vvordes put farre from mee Aufer iniquitatem servi tui take avvay the sinne of thy servant when hee had numbred the people Or as Iob prayed Aufer at à me virgam suam let him take avvay his rodde from mee Or as Pharaoh requested Moses and Aaron to pray to the Lord for him to take avvay the frogges and afterwardes vvhen the grassehoppers vvere sent to take avvay frow him that one death onelye No his life His dearling that lived and laye within his bosome VVhich because it is the blessing of God good in nature and fitâ— for the exercise of goodnesse the strongest man living is loth to depart from The other which I spake of were plagues to the land banes to the conscience hinderances â—o salvation and therefore it was no marvaile if God were humbly entreated to remove them But Pharaoh in his right wittes nor skarsely Orestes beinge madde vvoulde ever have desired that his life shoulde bee taken from him Who ever became a suter to GOD to take avvaye the life of his oxe or asse because they were given him for labour Much lesse of his wife which was made an helper vnto him or his childe a comforter Or who ever hath entreated him to give him evill for good a scorpion for a fish a serpent for an egge stones for bread Ionas is found thus senselesse skant worthy of that soule which he setteth so light by He should have desired God to have taken away the stony heart out of the middest of him and not scelus de terra Ezech. 23. or spiritum immundum de
than life Deus mitte mihi mortem accelera dies meos O LORDE send death vnto mee shorten my daies And sometimes sicknesse commeth indeede but then there is coursinge to and fro Phisitians are brought mony and giftes are promised and death it selfe perhappes speaketh vnto them Ecce adsum beholde here am I Thou calledst for mee thou desiredest the LORDE not longe since to sende mee VVherefore doest thou flye mee now I haue founde thee a deceaver and a lover of this vvretched life notvvithstandinge thy shew to the contrary It is the vse of vs all with the like forme of petitioÌ„ rather oâ— banning and imprecation to wish for death yea strange and accursed kindes of death wherein God sheweth a iudgement Let mee sinke as I stande let the earth open vnto mee let mee never speake worde more And every crosse and vexation of life make it irkesome and vnsavoury vnto vs vvoulde God I vvere dead If God shoulde then answere vs Ex â—re tuo out of your owne mouthes I graunte your requestes Be it vnto you according to your wordes howe miserable and desperate were our case But as olde Chremes in the Comedy tolde Clitipho his sonne a younge man and without discretion vvho because hee coulde not wringe from his father tenne poundes to bestowe vpon Bacchis his lover had none other speach in his mouth but Emâ—ricupio I desire to die First knovve I praie thee vvhat it is to liue vvhen thou haste learned that then if thy life displease thee vse these vvordes so first knowe my brethren you that are so hastye to pronounce the sentence of death against your selues vvhat belongeth to the life of a Christian vvhy it vvas given you by the LORDE of life to vvhat endes hee hath made you living soules what duties and offices hee requireth at your handes these thinges rightlye weighed if you thinke good call for death for by that time I thinke you vvill learne more vvisedome than to doe it It is good for you to see to the vvhole course and transaction of your liues they shoulde bee prelusions and preparations for a better life to come Beginne not then to liue vvhen you must giue over vvhich is the follie of most men or rather take heede that you giue not over life before you haue begunne it As one haire shall not fall from your heades vvithout GODS providence so nor the least haire and minute of time from your yeares vvithout his account taken But especially remember your end looke to the fallinge of the tree consider hovv the sunne goeth dovvne vppon you Novve if ever before cast your accountes you builde for heaven now if ever before bring forth your armies you fight for a kingdome Lay not more burthen of sinne vppon your soules at their going forth Let the last of your vvay be rest and the closing vppe of the day a sweete and quiet sleepe vnto you My meaninge is vvish not for death before you bee very ready for it Nay rather desire GOD to spare you a time that you may recover I say not your strength and bodilye abilitie but his favour and grace before hee plucke you away and you bee no more seene It is not comforte enough vnto you to saie Vixi quem dederat cursum natura peregi I haue lived indeede and finished some time vpon the earth vnlesse you can also adde your consciences bearing you vvitnesse and ministring ioy to the end of your daies 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 the seconde to Timothy and 4. chapter I haue finished my race I haue not onelye broughte it to an end but to a perfection though I haue died soone yet I haue fulfilled much time my life hath beene profitable to my countrye and to the Church of God and nowe I depart in his peace THE XLIIII LECTVRE Chap. 4. ver 4. Then saide the Lord Doest thou well to be angry The first of those 3. parts wherinto this chapter was devided touching the impatience discontentment of Ionas we haue in part discovered out of the former verses reserving a remnant thereof to be handled afterwardes The reprehension of God which was the 2. beginneth at these wordes and is repeated againe in the 9. verse vpon the like occasioÌ„ given by Ionas The mercy of God towardes his prophet manifesteth it selfe in this fatherly obiurgation many waies 1. That the Potter vouchsafeth huÌ„bleth himselfe to dispute with his Clay 2. that he is ready to giue a reason of all his actions as a righteous Lord who doth not enforce any thing by his absolute and meere authority but dealeth reasonably and iustly much more that the Lord speaketh vnto him who spake fretted against the Lorde giveth an accouÌ„t vnto him why he spared Niniveh of whoÌ„ no maÌ„ wisely durst to haue demaÌ„ded what dost thou that hee that dwelleth in light vnapproachable his counsailes are so high in the cloudes as who caÌ„ finde theÌ„ out placeth theÌ„ notwithstanding in the eies of the world to be examined sifted by the reason of man But most of all that he ministreth a word in season vnto Ionas wheÌ„ the streame of his anger was so violent that it bare him into an hearty desire longing after death then that the Lord intercepteth him aunswereth in his course as Elihu answered Iob Beholde I haue waited vpon thy wordes and harkened vnto thy speach whilst thou soughtest out reasons I will now speake in my turne shew thee mine opinion Doest thou well to be angry It is the singular wisedome of God without which pollicy it were hard for any flesh living to be saved that when we are running on in our sinnes wearying our selues in the waies of wickednes amongst other his retentiues stops he hath the hooke of reprehension to thrust into our noses pull vs backe againe Our iniquities would wander with out measure become rottennes in our bones our wounds woulde dwell for ever in our bowels and fester to the day of iudgement with out this medicine So wisedome began her lore Pro. 1. O yee foolish how long will ye loue foolishnes the scorner take pleasure in scorning the fooles hate knowledge She giveth vs our right names according to our corrupt natures for wisdome is able to iudge of fooles knoweth that without her instructioÌ„ we are wedded to our follies therefore she addeth turne ye at my correction loe I will powre out my minde vnto you make you vnderstand my words ClemeÌ„s Alexandrinus compareth our Saviour to an expert Musitian such as Terpander or Capito never were for hee singeth new songs hath sundry kindes of moodes and varieties to worke the salvation of man Sometimes he hath spoken by a burning bush vnto him sometimes by a cloude of water sometimes by a piller of fire that is he hath beene light to those that were obedient fire to those that rebelled and because flesh is more
place of the other Our Saviour vvho was evermore prophecied to bee the light of the Gentiles is by none other name figured Malach. 4 than of the sunne rising Vnto you that feare my name shall the sunne of righteousnesse arise and in the song of Zachary Luke 1. he is called the day spring from an high Many religious actions wee rather doe towardes the East than any other pointe of heaven We bury our dead commonly as the Athenians did their faces laide and as it vvere lookinge Eastwarde And for the most part especially in our temples wee pray Eastward So did the idolatours Ezech. 8. turning their backes to the temple of the Lorde and their faces to the East Will you haue the reason heereof Why was Aaron willed Levitic 16. to take the bloud of the bullocke and to sprinckle it with his finger vpon the mercie-seate Eastwarde It was the pleasure of God so to haue it And vnlesse nature direct vs to these observations whereof I haue spoken I know not how we are moved The rising of our sunne whose resurrection wee now celebrate the true and onely begotten sonne of God was in the Morninge Mathew saith in the dawning of the day Marke very early when the sun was risen not that hee had yet appeared in their hemisphere but his light hee sent before him Iohn saith when there was yet darknesse that is the body of the sunne was not yet come foorth And Thomas Aquinas thinketh it probable enough that our resurrection shal bee very early in the morning the sunne being in the East and the moone in the West because saith hee in these opposite pointes they were first created You may happily mervaile what the event of my speech will be I haue seldome times carried you away from the simplicity of the prophecy which I entreate of by allegories and enforced collections Yet I am not ignorant that many mens interpretations in that kinde are of many men gladly and plausibly receaved I hope it shall bee no greate offence in mee to fit and honour this feast of the resurrection of the Lorde of life with one allegory We are now walking into the West as the sunne in his course doth Beholde we are entring into the way of the whole worlde And as the sun goeth downe is taken from our sight by the interpositiō of the earth so into the body of the earth shall wee likewise descend and be taken from the company of the living Christ our Saviour who was both the living and life it selfe and had the keies of hell of death whose manner of protestation is Vivo in saecula I liue for ever and ever yet touching his humane nature when hee soiourned vpon the face of the earth had his setting and going downe In this sense we might aske the Spouse in the Canticles O thou fairest amongest vvomen what is thy wellbeloved more than other men And though shee aunswere my vvelbeloved is white and ruddy the chiefest of ten thousand yet in this condition of mortall and naturall descent he is equall vnto his brethren This Passe-over we must all keepe and therefore let vs trusse vp our loynes and take our staues in our hands that wee may vvalke forwardes towardes the West in steede of other precious ointments let vs anointe our bodies to their buriall and for costly garmentes let vs lay foorth shrowdes for our flesh and napkins to binde about our heades that is let vs remember our ende and the evening of our liues wee shall offende the lesse The death of the Son of God if ever any mans vvas ratified and assured as farre forth as either the iustice of his Father or the malice of men might devise If his body had beene quickend with seven soules and they had all ministred life vnto it in their courses yet such vvas the anger of GOD against sinne and the cruelty of man against that iust one that they would all haue failed him And his buriall and descension into the lower partes of the ground was as certainly confirmed For you knovve vvhat caution the providence of GOD tooke therein to prevent all suspicion of the contrary For his body being taken downe from the crosse vvas not only embalmed and vvrapt in a linen cloath but laide in a nevve sepulcher vvhere never corpse had lien before least they might haue saide that the body of some other man was risen and in a sepulcher of stone because the dust and softer matter of the earth might easily haue been digged into and in a sepulcher of rocke or one entire stone least if there had beene seames and fissures therein they might that way haue vsed some cavil against his resurrection Besides a stone at the mouth of that stone and a seale and a watch and as sufficient provision besides as the vvisedome of vvordlye and ill-minded men coulde thinke vpon Notwithstanding as the brute of his death was vniversallie spread and beleeved for the very aire range with this sounde Magnus Pan mortuus est The greate and principall shephearde is deade and the sunne in the skye set or did more at his setting and the graues opened and sent foorth their deade to receiue him so the newes of his resurrection vvas as plentifullye and clearely vvitnessed by Angelles men women disciples adversaries and by such sensible conversation vpon earth as that not onely their eies but their fingers and nayles were satisfied Beholde then once againe the sunne of righteousnesse is risen vnto vs and the daie-springe from an high or rather from belowe hath visited vs for then vvhen Zachary prophecied hee vvas to descende from the highest heavens but novve hee ascended from the hearte of the earth Once againe vvee haue seene our brighte morninge starre vvhich was obscured and darkened by death shining in the east with so glorious a countenaunce of maiesty and power as shall neuer more bee defaced Even so the daies shall come when after our vanishing and disparition for a time vnder the globe of the earth wee shall arise againe and the LORDE shall bringe vs out of darkenesse into the lighte of his countenance Our nighte wherein vvee sleepe a while shal bee chandged into a morninge and after obscuritie in the pitte of forgetfulnesse we shall appeare and shine as the starres of GOD in their happiest season VVee shal goe out of Niniveh as Ionas did a Gentile and straunge citty a place vvhere wee are not knowne a lande where all thinges are forgotten for vvhither wee bee in the flesh vvee are strangers from GOD or whither in our graues we are not with our best acquaintaunce both these are a Niniveh to right Israelites and vvee shall fit in the East that is wee shall meete our Saviour in the clouds and bee received vp with him into glory and dwell in everlasting daie vvhere wee shall never knowe the West more because all parts are beautifull alike nor feare the decay of our bodies
chardge you at this time with these particulars 1. what Ionas made a booth 2. for what vse to sit vnder the shadowe of it 3. how long to continue till hee mighte see vvhat vvas done in the cittie The 1. and the 2. shew vnto vs the one the nature the other the vse of all buildinges By nature they are but boothes and tabernacles and such as the Prophet reporteth of Sion that shee shoulde remaine as a cottage in a vineyarde and like a lodge in a garden of cucumbers Or as Iob speaketh in the 27. of his booke like a lodge that the watchman maketh no longer to abide than till that service is ended I would be loth to tearme them the houses of spiders and moathes as Iob doth but compared with eternity such they are The patriarches and people of auncienter times dwelt but in tentes easily pight and as easily remooved and as many other things in antiquity so this amongst the rest was a figure to all the ages of the world to come that so long as they dwell vpon the earth they haue but a temporall and transitory habitation The earth which we dwel vpon is but our place of soiourning and wherein vvee are strangers as God tolde Abraham Gen. 17. In the 47 of the same booke Pharaoh asked Iacob howe many were the daies of the yeares of his life Iacob to expresse our condition of travailing and flitting vpon the earth to and fro aunswered the king the whole time not of my life but of my pilgrimage or rather pilgrimages by reason of often remooues is an hundreth and thirty yeares Few and evill haue the daies of my life beene and I haue not attained vnto the yeares of the life of my fathers in the daies of their pilgrimages David 1. Chron. 29. giveth thankes vnto the Lord in behalfe of himselfe and his people that they were able to offer so willingly towards the building of the temple because all thinges came of him and from his owne hande or liberalitie they had given vnto him For saith he we are strangers before thee and soiourners like all our fathers our daies are as the shadowe vpon the earth and there is none abiding Thus Iacob and his fathers David and his Princes and his people and their fathers al were pilgrimes Let vs see nowe what vse the Apostle maketh hereof Hee saith of Abell Enoch Noah Abraham Sarah and the rest that all these died in faith and received not the promises but sawe them a farre of and beleeved them and receaved them thankefullie and confessed that they vvere strangers pilgrimes on the earth For they that say such things declare plainly that they seeke a country It may bee their owne from whence they were exiled the Apostle aunswereth no. For if they had beene mindefull of that countrey froÌ„ whence they came out they had leasure to haue returned But now they desire a better that is an heavenly Wherefore God is not ashamed of them to be called their God for he hath prepared for theÌ„ a citty Likewise he exhorteth vs Heb. 13. As Iesus to sanctifie the people vvith his owne bloud suffered without the gate so that we should goe forth of the campe bearing his reproach for here we haue no continuing citty but wee seeke one to come And our Saviour told his disciples Ioh. 4. that in his fathers house there were many mansions or settled dwellings for here wee haue but tabernacles Houses I confesse we haue as foxes haue thtir holes birdes their nestes and bees their hiues to be chased and driven from them but till the promise be fulfille which is mentioned Revel 21. that the tabernacle of God shal be with men that is men shal be with the tabernacle of God and God dwell with vs and we with him in heavenly Ierusalem we must trust to that other prophecie Mich. 2. surgite ite arise and depart for this is not your rest The vse of buildings is that we may sit vnder the shadowe thereof The posterity of Noah Gen. 11. having fouÌ„d out a place in the plaÌ„ie of Sinar said go to let vs build vs a citty towre to get vs a name Was that the end of buildings Nabuchodonosor Dan. 4. built them a palace for the house of his kingdome and for the honour of his maiesty to vaunt of the mightines of his power and to forget the God of heaven Was that the end of building It seemeth by the wordes of Salomon Eccles. 2. that hee made him great worke and built him houses to prooue his hearte vvith ioie and to take pleasure in pleasant thinges Or was that the end of building Some build wonders of the world as the walles of Babylon set vp by Semiramis the house of Cyrus the tombe of Mâ—usolus All which buildings whither they be summer-parlours as Eglons Iud. 3. or winter-caÌ„hbers houses in the citty or TusculaÌ„ farmes in the couÌ„try were they as stately for heigth as the spires of Egypt or as the teÌ„ple of the great Diana of the Ephesians which as they were woÌ„dred at for their buildings so for their ruine dissipation or were they as sumptuous for cost as that pallace of king Alcinous the wals wherof were of brasse the gates of gold the entries of silver they are all but vanity and vvhen vvee haue all done there is none other vse of building than to sit and shadovve our selues and to defend our bodies from the violence of the weather and other forreigne iniuries It is a sickenesse that some men haue to spend their time in building as the Epigramme noted Gellius Gellius aedificat semper Gellius is alvvaies building or repayring or chaunging or doing somewhat to keepe his hand in If a friend come to borrowe money of him Gellius hath no other word in his mouth but I am in building Alas to what purpose are these lardge and spacious houses without inhabitants chimneyes without smoake windowes not for prospect but for martins to breed and owles to sing in Such are the tenants insteed of families heretofore kept hospitality maintained nowe hedge-hogs lying vnder the walles wesels dwelling in the parlours Ieremy doth notably taxe the vanity of a great builder Hee saith I wil build me a wide house and lardge chambers so he wil make himselfe greate windowes and seele theÌ„ with Cedar paint them with Vemiâ—ton But shalt thou raigne saith the prophet because thou closest thy selfe in Cedar did not thy father thy grandfather eate and drinke and prosper when they executed iudgement and iustice kept houses relieved the poore but thine eies thy heart are but only for covetuousnes oppression for vainglory to coÌ„maund and over-looke the country round about and to leaue a name behind thee even to do this and according to the endes thou proposest herein so shall the Lord visite thee Till he might see what should be done in the citty But the
house built by the hands of God should longer have continued thā that artificial tabernacle which himselfe had erected of such slender stuffe 3. It is thought that the colour of his arbour being greene and fresh pleased well his eies 4. That the sent of the leaves was not vnwelcome to his nostrelles Paulus de Palatio addeth other reasons of his ioy 1. He thinketh that Ionas was sicke through griefe of heart and that it much revived his soule to see the care which God had over him 2. He imagineth that Ionas perswaded himselfe even for this miracles sake that the people of Niniveh would not esteeme him as a false prophet Lastly hee accordeth to Saint Ierome and supposeth this tree to have beene common in Iudaea and therefore it much delighted Ionas to behold a tree of his owne countrey They adde moreover the sodainnesse of the miracle and that the gourd was so much the more gratefull vnto Ionas because it came vnlooked for But the most of these before alleadged are but sensible pleasures and there is no question but that which most affecteth him was the presence and favour of God so miraculously and extraordinarily shewed For that argument which Gedeon asked of God if God be with vs where are his miracles Iudg. 6. to seale vp his mercies towardes him the same doth the Lord bring in this place for the confirmation of Ionas That Ionas reioyced for the gourd I cannot dislike it argueth that he weighed and esteemed the blessings of God as they deserved Many though they fall vpon their heades as the dew of heaven vpon their ground yet are more senselesse in them and as they meete the motes in the sunne-beames so they entertaine the giftes of God as if they came by chance skarsely lending a thought to consider them Others are ioyfull enough of that which they are possessed of sometimes insolent and prowde their lookes and their gate have maiesty and disdaine in them against those who are not so plentifully visited but they litle regard the authour of those benefites who hath sent this ticket or remembrance to every man vpon the face of the earth what hast thou that thou hast not receaved Let Naball be the person and parable in whome I report onely chandging the name the history of all worldly men who having the riches of the earth take them as inheritance or due debt and spend them like Lords to fulfill their lustes meane-while not minding either sacrifice to God or reliefe to the poore or any way applying themselves to those endes for which they were enriched Naball 1. Sam. 25. had riches enough and mirth enough hee made a feast after his shearing like a king and his heart was merry within him the reason was for hee was very drunken there is the vse of his riches Besides the opinion of his mightines and wealth made him as drunke otherwise For the vsage of himselfe in the dispensation of his riches was so base every way that neither servant nor wife nor stranger gaue good report of him The servant vttereth his complaint he is so wicked that a man cannot speake vnto him the wife concealeth not hirs let not my Lorde regarde this wicked man for as his name is so is hee Naball is his name and folly is with him David oftentimes fretteth at his churlishnesse he hath requited mee evill for good who would not bestow a little portion of his substance to refresh the servants of David that walked at the feete of their Lord though they were a wall vnto him by day and by night and safegarded all that he had in the wildernes But his end was aūswerable to his deserving for it is said in the text the Lord smote him within ten daies that hee died and before that death of his body his heart died within him and hee was like a stone The best instruction is as we reioyce in these temporall blessings of God so to vse them that they may be our ioy for to some they are snares and destructions to receiue them with thanksgiving embrace them in measure and dispense them with wisedome to the honour of our bountifull God reliefe of afflicted Ioseph and a furtherance vnto vs to dischardge those Christian dueties wherevnto wee are bound Besides the acknowledging of the author the pleasure which Ionas tooke in the gourd was a signe that hee felt the sweetnsse and vse of the benefite which if you obserue is a blessing vpon a blessing for as the wise Preacher noted to every man to whome God hath given riches and treasure and giveth him power to eate thereof and to take his parte and to enioy his labour this is the gift of God the other are his giftes but this is a double gift Surely hee will not much remember the daies of his life because God aunswereth to the ioy of his heart Without which ioy and comfort of heart he will remember not onely the daies but the houres and minutes of his life and everye one is more bitter than other vnto him all the meate that hee eateth seemeth to be mingled with gall and his drinke spiced vvith worm-wood his clothes sit to straight vpon his body his body is a prison to his soule and his soule a burden clogg to it selfe Therfore the Preacher addeth ther is an evill which I haue seene vnder the sunne and it is much amongst men a man to whome God hath given riches and treasure and honour and hee wanteth nothing for his soule of all that it desireth but God giveth him not power to eate thereof but a stranger shall eate it vp this is a vanity and this is an evill sickenesse Ionas was not sicke of this disease for hee both enioyed the gourd perceived those comfortes and pleasures for which it was provided But what meaneth the immoderate and excessiue ioy that Ionas tooke therin for I come now to the measure of his affection It is true oftentimes which the Poet hath So foolish are we that while wee avoide one fault wee fall into the contrary Ionas is quickely angry and quickely pleased and very angry and very well pleased Whatsoever he is or doth he putteth full strength vnto it It is a great maistery saith Seneca to play a man kindly Of one whome thou sawest but yesterday thou maist aske the next who is this he is so much changed VVould a man know Ionas to be Ionas that had seene him before in his exceeding wrath and now should finde him so exceedingly well pleased This vvere enough for a childe whose limber and inconstant passions are every howre altered Yet Ionas bewraieth his weakenesse in the like mutability of māners sometimes boyling like a sea or like the river in Esay mightie and greate with abundance of choler sometimes as strongly over-borne vvith a contrary affection constant in nothing but in his inconstancie and never moderating himselfe with a milde and sober cariage as those vvaters of Shiloah
Rhodes in the armes of his three sonnes returning victorers from the games of Olympus The highest degree of ioy is that vvhich they call Iubilee described by Gregory thus vvhen an vnspeakeable gladnesse is conâ—eaved in the mind which neither can bee hidde nor speech vttered and although it be not expressed by any proprieties yet it is signified by some kindes of gesture Or when the abundance of the heart is not answered by sufficiency of wordes but he which reioyceth is neither able to rule his ioye nor to fulfill it I thinke the ioy of Ionas was a Iubilee he is so ravished and overcome with the pleasure of the gourd that hee knoweth not hovve to containe himselfe Alas a gourd was not worth thus much if the rule be true that the measure of our ioy should be according to the newes that is brought the cherefulnesse of the minde no more than is the thing which wee reioyce for If Ionas had receaved tydinges of deliverance from the belly of the fish or of redemption from eternall death if a Prophet had sung vnto him as hee did vnto Sion reioyce and bee glad Ionas beholde thy King commeth or Angelles had brought him worde as they did the shephardes beholde we bring thee news of great ioy that shal bee to all people what coulde Ionas more haue done For these and such like are the thinges wherein our greatest ioy should bee placed and there can bee no intemperancy of reioycing where these are affected So witnessed one Apostle God forbid that I should reioyce in any thing but in the crosse of Christ and the other agreeth vnto him in whome though you see him not yet doe you beleeue and reioyce with ioy vnspeakable and glorious For that is the true and principall ioy which is conceaved not from the creature but from the Creator which when thou hast receaved no man can take from thee wherewith compare what pleasure soever it is griefe all sweete is sowre vnto it and there is nothing that may delight but seemeth troublesome and offensiue There are many that say who will shew vs any good they are auÌ„swered by the prophet in one word Lorde lift thou vp the light of thy countenance vpon vs open but our eies that they may beholde thy merices For thou hast given mee more ioy of heart by the light of thy face than wordlinges haue felt when their wheate and their wine hath most abounded And therefore blessed is the man whose strength is in thee whose heart is in thy waies who going through the vale of this worlde make welles therin that is vse such commodities as this valley of teares affordeth them to relieue their present wantes but stay themselues vppon the hope and expectation of better thinges to come The Scripture doth everye where call vs to higher pleasures so doth wisedome Prov. 8. vvith mee are dureable riches the riches of this worlde are uariable So doth Esay in the 55. of his prophecie vvhy lay you out your money and not for bread but bestow it vpon akorns and branne that cannot feede So doth the sonne of God Mat. 6. Lay vp treasures for your selues in heaven And Ioh. â— labour not for the meate vvhich perisheth but for the meate which endureth vnto everlasting life So likewise hee adviseth the Church of Laodicaea Revel 3. I counsaile thee to buy golde of mee that thou maiest bee made rich and white rayment that thou mayest bee clothed and that thy filthinesse appeare not As for the mutable and transitorye either pleasures or profittes of this life which are ever comming going it shal bee good for a man so to loue them as that he may find in his heart to leaue them vvhen neede requireth And as Fabricius told Pyrrhus who one day tempted him with golde another day terrified him with an Elephant which hee had never seene before yesterday I was not mooved with thy money nor to day with thy beast so whether wee were tempted with the gaine or terrifiâ—d with the losse of these wordly commodities wee doe not trouble ouâ— selues either way because they vvere given vs but for vse and not everlastingly to enioy No man knoweth either loue or hatred by all that is before him for all thinges come alike to all the same condition I meane in these outward things is both to the iust and the wicked And therefore happy are wee if therein we can compose our selues to that indifferent resolution that David had when hee fled from Absalon his sonne touching his comming or not comming backe againe to Ierusalem to take his former comforts behold here am I let him do to me as it seemeth good in his eies But God prepared a worme when the morning rose the next day and it smoâ—e the gourd that it withered The pleasure of Ionas is quite dasht hee litâ—le thought of so speedie an alteration who seemed to say in his heart not longe before I shall never bee grieved but the Lorde hath given and the Lorde hath taken away and he that hath power over the blessings hath power also over the plagues Rev. 6 And as every good gift commeth downe from aboue so there is not an evil in the cittie nor in the world that the Lord doth not And his provideÌ„ce is as mightie in vsing rhe service of a worme as of Leviathan I neede not trouble you either with the author whome I haue often mentioned before or with his manner of working for hee doth not onely create al thinges but hee ordereth and fitteth them in such sorte that they are readie at all times to worke his will There is nothing sodaine or new or vnprovided vnto him but all his creatures both greate and small as if they watched their turnes stand forth to giue their attendance The instrument that God vseth to afflict Ionas with is very vile coÌ„teÌ„ptible he that could haue sent a wind to haue turned thâ— gourd vpside down or lightning to haue blasted it or an whole army of wormes caterpillers to haue devoured it or withered it with his word as Christ did the figtree never beare leaues henceforth prepareth a worme but one worme to execute that busines The scripture no where speaketh of wormes but with a kinde of coÌ„teÌ„pt as of a base and silly creature as Psa. 22. but I am a worme no maÌ„ the reproach of meÌ„ the scorne of people where the later expouÌ„deth the former Esay 41. feare not worme Iacob though thou art the least amoÌ„gst the nations al the people of the earth set themselues against thee The Hebrewes haue an opinion that enchaÌ„ters cannot shew their skill in litle things if they be lesse they say thaÌ„ a barly corne therefore the sorcerers of Egypt failed in producing lyce But our God is as cunning and artificial in the smallest creature of the world as in the greatest the organical
body of a litle Ant is no lesse to be wondered at thaÌ„ the huge body of Behemoth And as Vulcane is coÌ„meÌ„ded in the Poet for beating out chaines nets so thin that the eie could not see theÌ„ smaller than the smallest thred or thaÌ„ the web of the spider so the smaller the creature is the more is the workmanship of God to bee admired both in the shaping in the vsing therof We al know that God hath scourged the mightiest tyraÌ„t in the earth as much with worms as if he had sent out whole armies against him As he plagued Zenacharib with an Angel froÌ„ heaven the Sodomites with fire brimstone Corah his conspiratours with the opening of the earth so he destroied Herode with wormes Antiochus with wormes against many other bloudy persecutours of his church vsed none other executioners And bee it spokeÌ„ to the dauÌ„ting of all flesh to pull downe the pride thereof that the day shal come when wormes shall cover them they shall say to the wormes you are our brethren sisters to the coÌ„fusion of all the wicked daÌ„ned of the earth that their worme dieth not wherby though an infinite tormeÌ„t be meant yet the gnawing of a poore worme is made to expresse it The time which God chose for smiting the gourd was in the rising of the morning a litle before the sun caÌ„e forth of his chaÌ„ber when the shadow of the gourd should most haue pleasured him for in the night season the aire was cold enough Ionas passed it with sleepe so that the covering of the boughes was superfluous for that time But when the morning arose the rightest houre that the crosse could haue falleÌ„ vpoÌ„ Ionas the worme is sent They say in Esay let the couÌ„sell of the holy one come what need they cal for it it shal not only coÌ„e but come in a time which God hath apointed fittest for their smarte Al the iudgmeÌ„ts of the Lord are nuÌ„ber measure he reckoneth the houre and the minute of the houre when it is most convenient to inflict them Sisera shall not die in an army nor by the handes of a man nor any bow bent nor sword drawne against him the Lord hath reserved him to a tent to a ten-penny nayle to be driven in to his head by the hands of a feeble woman This was the time these the meanes which the Lord made choise of to punish him Zenacherib shall not be slaine in the field nor by the Angell of the Lord which smote a greate part of his army but at home in his owne citty and in the temple of his idoll and by the handes of his sonnes that sprange from his bowels This is the time and these the meanes that the Lord hath kept him vnto to shew his iustice Therefore the day of vengance and destruction is evermore called the day of the Lord not that the rest are not his but these he hath specially marked out and allotted to exercise his iudgementes in There is a time to plant and a time to roote vp that that hath beene planted Babylon is as a threshing floore saith the prophet the time of her threshing is come yet a little while and her harvest is come so Babylon you see hath a time for her threshing Our Saviour Revel 3. speaketh of an houre of temptation which shall come vpon all the world to try them that dwell vpon the earth And in the fourteenth of the same booke the Angell flyeth in the midst of heaven saying with a lowd voice feare God giue glory to him for the houre of his iudgment is come And another Angel cried vnto him that sate vpon the clovvd thrust in thy sickle and reape the harvest of the earth for the time is come to reape it God suffered the gourd in the night time when Ionas had litle benefite by it but when the morning arose and when his soule most desired the comfort thereof then it vvithered Rich men shall haue riches when they haue least vse of them but when the evill day commeth they shall cast them avvaye to the mowles of the earth and Epicures shall haue their pleasures for a time but when they shall say vnto pleasures stand vp and helpe vs they shall flie away from them And as he chose the vnhappiest time for the plaguing of Ionas so he made speede to plague him for how shorte a time did Ionas enioy the pleasure of the gourd God prepared a worme the very next day to smite it Where are those greedie dogges that never haue enough of pleasure Who say come wee vvill bring wine and wee will fill our selues vvith strong drinke and to morrow shall bee as this day and much more abundant What els is this drunkennesse of yours in wine strong drinke and fulfill of pleasures but the merry madnes of one houre to be recompenced with sorrow for ever and ever Go to you that say to daie and to morrow wee will doe this and that and yet yee cannot tell what shall be to morrow for what is your life or what is your pleasure intended It is even a vapour that appeareth for a litle time and aftervvarde vanisheth away Boast not thy selfe of to morrowe for thou knowest not what a day may bring foorth Nescis quid serus vesper ferat thou knowest not what a chandge the next evening may make Did Elah the king of Israell thinke vvhen he was feasting in his stewardes house that his time had beene so shorte and that a capitaine of his own should haue slaine him Did the sonnes and daughters of Iob vvhen they were banqueting in their eldest brothers house dreame of the winde that came from the wildernesse smote the foure corners of the house that it overwhelmed them Did Babylon which was called tender and delicate and the Lady of kingdomes which assumed to her selfe I am and there is none else I shall not â—it a vvidowe nor know the losse of children shee that trusted in her wickednesse and said none seeth mee did shee imagine how neare they were that came with a contrary newes Advenit finis tuus Thine ende is come Dumah calleth to the prophet in scorne Esa. 21. watch-man vvhat is in the nighte watch-man vvhat is in the night The watch-man aunswereth The morning commeth and also the night that is thou hast had a time of light and delightes thou shalt also haue a time of darknes Thus the Edomites and Epicures of our daies mocke their prophetes and watch-men You speake of a night yee watch-men and of a day of iudgement but when commeth that night or where is the promise of his comming We tell you againe The morning commeth and also the night If yee will aske aske to amendement of life aske not to scoffe vs and to deceiue your selues enquire returne and come that is continue not still in your former abominations The
to take them to his mercy in peace let them agree with their adversarie in the vvaie much more bee at one vvith God that neither their heartes nor tongues murmure at his iudgementes Death I confesse is an advantage to some men but such as with an obstinate heart and sinewes in their forehead striue against the Lorde their maker and goe to lavve vvith one mightier than themselues not caring to make an ende in time of the controversies betweene them their death is a death indeede and litle profit or ease to bee founde in it The purpose of this verse in hand vvas none other than to set forth vnto vs the afflictions of Ionas and vndoubtedlye they are very great For as Nahomi aunsvvered her people in the first of Ruth vvhen they asked is not this Nahomi call me not Nahomi that is beawtifull or pleasaunt but call mee Marah for the Almightie hath given mee much bitternesse I went out full and the Lord hath caused me to returne empty why then cal ye me Nahomi seeing the Lord hath humbled mee and the Almightie hath brought mee to adversitie So Ionas might have aunswered to those that had asked is not this Ionas call me not Ionas a doue but call mee a Pellican or owle in the desarte I vvas full of pleasure and amaenity and my heart replenished vvith exceeding ioy but the Lorde hath emptied me Many things there are in our liues for which vve may change our names as Nahomi did from beawty or pleasure to bitternesse But if we remember withall that it is the worke of the Lord to humble vs and the hand of the Almighty that bringeth vs to adversitie that one cogitation will suffice to teach vs patience For to whome doe we rather owe the quietnes and subiection of our spirites than vnto him who as Theodorite somevvhere excellently spake both giveth his benefites vnto vs to teach vs how easily hee can bestow them and taketh them away that we may know how litle we deserue theÌ„ Thus haue the childreÌ„ of God evermore begunne their consultations in their daies of tempation and as it were beckoned to themselues for silence Dominus est it is the Lorde take heede of repining at his iudgementes it is not mine enimie for then I vvoulde haue hid my selfe it is not the sonne of man for then I vvoulde haue resisted him it is not any creature of God I vvoulde then haue devised some meanes to redresse my griefe it is the Lorde himselfe vvho hath more right to my soule than that he may be contraried for both he hath beene beneficial vnto me here-tofore may againe hereafter Patience was the shielde vvherewith that notable atchiever of the victories of God repelled all those venemous dartes which either in the death of his children or in the losse of his substance or in the runnings sores of his bodie or in the cursed perswasions of his wife miserable comfortes of his friends malicious importunate accusations of Satan were throwen against him O what a glorious banner set he vp against the enemy both of God and man when for every calamity that was cast vpon him there came nothing from his mouth but thankes bee vnto God Sathan expected that he should haue accursed God and his vvife another Satan in his bosome so perswaded him but the witnes is true which is there given non peccavit labijs suis he offended not with his lippes I conclude therefore with Tertullian totum licet seculum pereat dum patientiam lucrifaciam I care not though all the world perish vnto me so I maie gaine patience And God said to Ionas doest thou well to be angrie for the gourd c. The gourd prepared by God had a double vse the one natural and open to cast a shadow over the head of Ionas the other typicall and secret to demonstrate the iniquity of his iudgement which vse we are nowe comming vnto In this actual reprehension which God is framing against him there were many antecedents I told you which made the way thervnto al which we haue already examined Now we are descended to that end wherevnto God disposed them The words here spoken by God Doest thou well to be angry are the same which were vsed in the former insimulation and the same provocation of the words to weete the anger of Ionas Who would not haue thought but one repreheÌ„sioÌ„ might haue served one kind of sin but so is sin to the soule of man in some part of comparison as Iacob was vnto Esau Gen. 27. of whom Esau complained was he not rightlie called Iacob For he hath deceived me these two times first he tooke my birth-right from me and loe now hath he taken my blessing And surely sinne will supplant vs twise and tenne times togither vnlesse God preserue vs. Ionas offendeth once more in the same perturbation and the Lorde reproveth him once more in the same forme of reprehension What else shall I say heereof but as Ioseph said to Pharaoh touching his two dreames the one of the kine the other of the eares of corne both Pharaohs dreames are one therefore the dreame is doubled to Pharaoh the second time because the thing is established by God and God hasteth to perfourme it So both Gods reprehensions are one and therefore is the reprehension doubled vnto Ionas the second time that Ionas mighte beware to offende in the like transgression Nehemias tolde the merchants that abode about the walles of the citty vvhy do you stay here all night si iterâ—m feceritis inijciam in vos manus if you shall doe it againe I I will lay hands vpon you It is marvaile that God laid not hands vpon Ionas nor at leastwise corrected him with some sharper castigation whoÌ„ he had taken and warned before for the same offence To that which heretofore I haue said of repreheÌ„sion I wil adde no more than the rule practise of Bernard as I finde it meÌ„tioned in his life His rule or observation is this Where there resouÌ„deth on both sides betweene the reprover him that is reproved modesty mildnes of speech it is a sweet coÌ„fereÌ„ce where it is held on the one side only it is profitable where both partes lay it aside it is pernicious but where there is hardnes bitternes froÌ„ theÌ„ both iurgiuÌ„ est non correctio nec disciplina sedrixa it is not correction instruction but chiding brawling to adioine the wordes of Anselme tunc noÌ„ veritas quaeritur sed animositas fatigatur theÌ„ is not the truth sought for but men exercise weary their stouts harts Therfore the maner of S. Bernard because he would be sure to retaine this modesty on the one side was to be very vrgent vpon him that yeelded as yeelding another time to him that resisted Albeit Ionas behaue himselfe very vnmodestly vndutifully towardes God yet God is otherwise affected towardes Ionas rather than the
more matter is ministred for pitty to worke vpon Ierusalem vvas more laboured and applied by Christ in the daies of his flesh than either Bethania a country towne or any other cittye of Iudah or Samaria lesse than Ierusalem Agesilaus a renowned Lacedaemonian was grieved in his heart when he had slaine tenne thousand of his enemies and when many of the rest that were left aliue had withdrawne themselues within the citty of Corinth his friends advising him to lay siedge vnto it he answered that it was not fit for him so to do for he was a man which would compell offendours to do their duety but not pull downe citties The ruinating and overthrowing of citties are miserable either spectacles or histories to those that vvith any humanity shall consider them Nero may sing and triumph when Rome is on fire a bloudy horse-leach feedinge vpoÌ„ the spoiles of men and townes but Abraham will pray for Sodome though the sinke of the earth and not onely Ieremy will lament write lamentations but Christ will mourne for the downe-fall of Ierusalem And Titus whilste he lieth in siedge when hee shall see such slaughter of the Iewes will throw vp his hands to heaven and lay the massacre vpon God to cleare himselfe That Sodome wherof I â—pake consider but the raine that fell vpon it brimstone and fire from the Lord in heaven it selfe overthrowne with her sisters and all the plaine and all the inhabitants of the cittie and all that grevv vpon the earth turned into ashes and whatsoever came vp afterwards from that ground vnholsome and vnprofitable fruite pestelent vines bitter clusters the whole lande mingled with cloudes of pitch and heapes of ashes the people suffering the vengeance of eternall fire and notwithstanding all this it selfe made a by-word to all ages that came after it as we read in Esay 1. and Rom. 9. vnlesse the Lorde had left vs a seede wee shoulde haue bene as Sodome I say consider but these thinges and pitty her ruine and desolation though she be Sodome because she was a citty Though Iericho were Iericho a citty of the vncircumcised idolatrous in the worshippe of God and hostile towards his people can it sincke into your eares without pittying and bemoaning the gate therof to heare that her walles fell flat and all that was therein was vtterly destroyed both man and woman young and olde oxe and sheepe and asse with the edge of the sworde and the citty burnt with fire all that was in the citty except some silver and gold that was reserved Though Iericho be suncke so low that it shall never rise againe to stand long for it is sealed with a curse to his person that should adventure to reedifie Iericho with the bloud of his eldest and yongest sonnne yet say to your selues when you reade that lamentable narration alas for Iericho because it was a citty sometimes girded with walles fortified with bulwarkes stored with treasure and wealth peopled with men and furnished with other such habilities as the very name of a citty presently implieth But that Ierusalem wherof I also spake Ierusalem the sanctified citty and the cittye of the everlasting God Ierusalem builte in vnitye Ierusalem the Queene and Empresse of the provinces so defaced and levelled with the ground that not a stone was left standing vpon a stone neither in their houses walles bulwarkes turrets no nor in the altars sanctuary temple of Ierusalem the old and young matrones virgins mothers infants princes priests prophets Nazarites all slaine famished fettered skattered abroade vtterlye consumed If it come into the minde of any man either by reading or hearing vvithout commiseration I say that his heart is more barbarous and rude than the very fragments and rubbell wherein Ierusalem is lodged Who can expresse those havockes by speech or finde teares enough to equall their miseries For this cause I vveepe faith the Prophet mine eye even mine eye casteth out water which it draweth vp from the fountaine of my over-flowing heart and he calleth to the daughter of Sion to let teares run downe like a river daie night to take no rest neither to suffer the apple of her eie to cease to arise cry in the night in the beginning of the watches to power out her heart like water before the Lord. Aeneas Silvius in his oration of the spoile of CoÌ„staÌ„tinople against the Turke with great compassion relateth the murdering of their children before the faces of their parents the noble meÌ„ slaughtered like beasts the Priests torne in pieces the religious flead the holy virgins incestuously defiled the mothers their daughters despightfully vsed at leÌ„gth he crieth out O miseraÌ„ vrbis faciem O the miserable face of that citty O vnhappy people O wicked Mahomet Who is able to report such things without tears there was nothing to be seene but ful of mourning murder bloud-shed dead carkasses At last converting himselfe to Greece his mind eveÌ„ quaking starting backe with sorrow he thus bewaileth it O famous renowmed Greece behold now thy end now thou art dead alas how many mighty wealthy citties haue heretofore bin extinguished what is become of Thebes of Athens of Micene of Larissa of Lacedemon of Corinth of other memorable townes whose wals if thou seekest for thou canst not find so much as their ruines no maÌ„ caÌ„ shew the grouÌ„d werein they are are laid along our meÌ„ do oftentimes look for Greece in Greece it selfe only CoÌ„staÌ„tinople is no remaining of the carkasses of so many citties Such so lamentabl hath ever been the devastation of citties to meÌ„ of any affection such it seemed to God in this place shall not I spare Niniveh that great city Ionas could haue found in his hearte to haue seene it in the dust corne fieldes ploughed vp where the walles buildinge stood or rather an heape of nettles and salt-pits in the place thereof the smoake of the fire waving in the aire hiding away the light of the sun the flames spiring vp into heaveÌ„ the king his senatours marchants people those that walked with staues for age those that were nourished at the breasts for weaknes their flocks of sheepe heards of cattle all wasted and consumed in the saÌ„e pile if God would haue yelded to the madnes of his cruel appetite But he aunswereth with more clemency shall not I spare Niniveh that great citty Hitherto were but titles names the proofe followeth Wherein are sixe thousand persons that cannot discerne c. It may easily be ghessed quantus sit numerus alteriuâ— aetatis cúm tantus sit parvulâ—ruÌ„ how great the number of other ages when there were so many infants The prophecie was here fulfilled vvhich vvas given to Israel Iudah Ier. 31. Behold the daies come that I vvill sowe the house of Israell the house of Iudah with the seede of man and the seede of
the cattell the respect wherof did somwhat moue him to withdraw his iudgment And surely the abundance of cattle is no meane blessing of God He promiseth it vnto Israell Beholde I will multiply vpon you man and beast they shall encrease bring forth Abraham and Lot were very rich in cattle Gen. 13. so were Iacob and Esau Gen. 36. the land could not beare them both togither because of their flockes So was Vzzah the king 2. Chr. 26. he built towers in the wildernesse and digged many cisternes for hee had much cattle both in the valleyes and plaines The substance of Iob in the first of that booke was seuen thousand sheepe and three thousand cammelles and fiue hundred yoke of oxen and fiue hunered shee-asses towardes the end of his daies all these were doubled vnto him You see then what reasons the Lord hath vsed in this second member of the comparison for the sparing Niniveh 1. It was populous with all kind of men 2. there were infants in it 3. sixe score thousands 4. they were innocent 5. there was cattle 6 much cattle I do not finde that Ionas ever aunswered this argument but yeelding the victory to God and his blessed truth he leaveth a testimony of his silence and submission to the whole world in this writing vvhich he afterward compiled Such honour did Turnus giue to Aeneas when he vanquished him vicisti victum tendere palmas Ausonii videre thou hast overcome me and the people can beare witnes that I acknowledge thy victory With this most sweete and victorious sentence doth Ionas conclude or rather breake of his prophecy as if hee had said great is thy truth and prevaileth Thy mercy triumpheth against iustice much more shall it triumph against dust and ashes Let the corrupt affections of man giue place to thy righteous iudgements let both greate and small the infant and dumbe beast sing of thy lovinge kindnes and let every thing that hath breath say the Lorde bee praised And let this be the end of my labours for this time The meditatiō of that mercy of God wherin this prophcy is ended let the labours of my whole life know non other end Thus let me end the day begin the night end the night and begin the day againe whither I read or write thinke or speak or whatsoever else I do let me doe it all with this conclusion when I haue run out the race of my sinful daies let me rest at that happy marke wherin the Lord doth giue over his argument I these paines I haue at lengrh finished by the grace of God your patient audience my simple expositions vpon the prophecy of Ionas an argument narration you see of onely mercy the 4. Chapters whereof as those 4. beasts in the Revelation full of eies both before and behind I meane in every part opening and discovering vnto vs the invisible God in the sweetest propriety of his nature that is in the abundance of his loue cease not day and night for al eternity to sing gracious gracious gracious Lord God almighty which was which is which is to come thy mercy is over all thy works thy faithfulnes endureth frō generation to generation but the last of the 4. is the flying Eagle to all the rest as the fourth beast there having an higher reach loftier demonstration than the other had For where the mercy of God was then but exemplified in fact 1. to the mariners 2. to Ionas 3. to Niniveh in the 3. first chapters here it is pleaded maintained propugned touching the right reasonablenes therof with arguments so strong as that I say not the tongue of man but not the gates of the nethermost hell shall ever be able to prevaile against it Whilst there is a difference betwixt day and night when the covenant of day and night shall be broken this indifferency betwixt God and man shall stand in force shalt thou spare and shall not I spare or rather this difference if thou sparest not yet will I spare Though man can bee cōtent to see multitudes of his owne kind to be murdered like tatte◠or mice pittying neither infant in age neither innocent in cōditions nor the harmelesse beast yet GOD the Creator of all will cast a mercifull eye over all his creatures and both man and beast aged and suckling maugre the malice of Satan and opposition of his owne flesh shall finde grace in his eyes If I haue profited any man by putting Gods talente to vse in this exercise and beene as my hearty vvish was a sweete smelling sacrifice and a savour of life vnto him let God haue the honour the father and giver of all good and perfite giftes there shall none of his glory cleaue to my fingers I take nothinge to my selfe but weakenesse and shame vvho though I haue broken my maisters bread vnto you vvith mine earthly and vnvvorthy handes yet vvas I but the instrumente the blessing and povver his alone vvho giveth both seede to the sovver and breade to him that eateth That I haue beene chardgeable vnto any man it repenteth mee it is more blessed to giue than to take and although it standeth vvith the libertye and leaue of the gospell so to doe For vvho feedeth a flocke and eateth not of the milke of the flocke And if vvee haue sovven vnto you spirituall thinges is it a greate matter if vvee reape your carnall yet I vvill modestlye confesse it hardely stoode vvith the libertye and freedome of mine ovvne disposition and I am able to affirme it from a pure conscience as Paule did in the tvventieth of the Actes though I received some thinge 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 yet I haue not coveted the silver or golde or apparell of anie man I speake not in anie sorte my vvitnesses are in heaven and in mine owne bosome to diminishe the credite of your benevolence tovvardes me The LORDE requite it vnto you seaven folde I hate ingratitude as witch-crafte my mouth vvere vvorthy to bee muzzelled vppe if I vvoulde not freely and fully professe your kindenesse for you vvere vnto me as the house of Stephanas was vnto Paule and his companie the first fruites of Achaia he meante the first of that region that gaue themselues to minister vnto the Saintes so you the first fruites of Englande that haue given mee anie maintenance by voluntarie contribution I hope your cruise shall the more abounde your cup be the fuller for it Yet let me saie vvith patience whatsoever hath bee done in this behalfe I was rather sought motioned therevnto than my selfe ever sought it And during the greater time of my continuance therein if I had not rather desired to satisfie others than mine owne heart feeling more burden in my paines than sweetenesse in my recompence I had longe since eased both my selfe of my labour and you of your chardges Though some are ignorant others will not know
consepta the lamentable pinfoldes of the deathes of men O pray that the flight departure of this spirit which must depart be not vpon the sabbath day in the rest and tranquility of your sinnes nor in the winter and frost of your hard hearts nor in the midnight of your security when you least looke for it VVoe worth the man whome the Lorde when hee commeth shall finde sleeping I say the vntimely fruite is better than that man it had bin good for that man if he had never bin borne the theeues shall break through his house the daungerous theeues of the soule SataÌ„ his Angels spirituall wickednesse shal rob not his coffers but his conscience of a treasure which he had but lost with carelesnes The bride-grome shal come by with a noise but behold his light is out his oile speÌ„t that is both his matter oportunity of wel-doing is gone he cannot supply either by borrowing or by by buying though he woulde giue his heart bloud for it What shall become of him but that he shall knocke at the gates of heaven while those gates are standing cry vpon the Lord while he hath his being to no purpose The instruction serveth vs all For the prophet was willed to crye that those which were farthest of from hearing the sound and beleeving the report of the voice might be made partakers of it All flesh is grasse and all the goodlines thereof as the flower of the field And to shevve how strange it seemed vnto him that any should bee ignorant of their mortall condition and strangers in Ierusalem as the disciple spake to Christ Luke 24. or rather in the world not knowing the things vvhich ordinarily come to passe from the first creation till time shall bee no more he continueth his crie Know yee nothing haue yee not heard it hath it not beene tolde you from the beginning Haue yee not learned it from the foundations of the earth That it is hee that sitteth vpon the circle of the earth and the inhabitantes in comparison of him are but grashoppers That hee maketh the Princes of the earth as nothinge and the iudges as vanitie as though they were never planted never sowen and their stocke had taken no roote vpon the earth For he doth but blow vpon them and they wither and the whirle-winde taketh them away like strawe Statutum est omnibus semel mori It is apointed vnto all men once to die nay twise to die Moriendo morter is God threatned Adam that he shoulde die the the death so the Apostle here saieth first death and aftervvardes iudgement If we looke into it But the statute touching the former branch shall never be repealed till destruction be throwne into the lake of fire and it be fulfilled which the Apostle hath revealed vnto him Mors non erit vltra death shall be no more Let vs take heed therefore least whilest we are carefull to doe al other things in time to set our trees â—ow our fieldes gather our fruites wee loose or lay vp in the napkin of security and bury in the earth of forgetfulnesse the most precious talent of time committed vnto vs in the ordering and framing of our liues to salvation as if nothing were viler vnto vs than our selues Let vs beware to offer the dregs of our life to him that inspired it least we drinke the dregs of his anger If wee wish with Balaam that our latter endes may be like the endes of the righteous let vs not be negligent to fashion our beginnings middles like theirs Let vs know that life is short and the art of salvation requireth a long time of learning and the way into heaven is long and cannot be troden in a short time Astronomers say that the space betweene heaven earth if one should climbe vnto it by ladders is nine hundreth thousand miles but the distance whereof I speake betweene corruption and incorruption mortality and immortality wretchednes and glory can by no measure be comprehended Let the prowde by name remember that they must turne to the earth which now they set their feete vpon Rather those tender and dainty vvomen that never adventure to set the soule of their foote vpon the grounde but as if the face of the earth vvere not provided for the daughters of men they must be alwaies carried like the fowles of the aire betweene heaven and earth Let them remember that the earth shall set her foote vpon their heades and their lippes shall kisse the dust of the grounde and the very gravell and slime of the grave shall dwell betweene their hawty eye-liddes Why doe they kill the prophets â—nd builde vp tombes kill their soules and garnish their bodies Doe they fore-thinke vvhat shall become of them wheÌ„ after al their labour cost bestowed in whiting painting the outward wals there remaineth nothing but putiduÌ„ putriduÌ„ cadaver â— stinking and rotten carkas when though now they say to their sisters in the flesh Touch me not I am of purer mould thaÌ„ thou art yet the bones of Agamemnon and Thersites shal be mingled togither of Vashti the most beautifull Queene and the blackest Egyptian bond-woman shall not be found asunder I haue not leasure to say much vnto our prowde dust and ashes But if purple and fine linnen vvere an opprobrious note for lacke of an inwarde cloathing to the rich man in the gospell if that parable were to be written in these daies purple fine linnen were nothing And what the burtheÌ„s cariages of pride in the age of Clemens Alexandrinus were I know not but if it were a wonder to him that they killed not themselues vnder those burthens I am sure if the measure were then full it is now heaped vpon the highest and shaken togither and pressed downe againe We are mad to forget nature Adam hath wisdome to call all the beasts of the fielde by their proper names but he forgetteth his owne name that he was called Adam that there is an affinity betweene the earth and him For hee shall returne to the earth his earth He was not made of that substance vvhereof the Angelles and starres no not of that matter vvhereof the aire and the vvater inferiour creatures The earth was the wombe that bredde him and the earth the wombe that must receiue him againe For let him play the Alchymist while he will and striue to turne earth into silver and golde and pearles by making shew to the world vnder his glorious adornations that he is of some better substance yet the time is not farre of that the earth shall challendge him for her naturall childe and say he is my bowelles Neither can his rich apparrell so disguise him in his life time nor fear-clothes spices and balmes so preserue him after his death nor immuring stone or lead hide him so close but that his originall mother will both know him againe and
take him into her possession Let the covetous also remember this Nature shal as narrowly examine them at their going out as at their first entring They brought nothing with them into this world but skin over their teeth and over the other partes of their bodie and it is as certaine they shall carry avvay nothing They ioine house to house field to field by disioyning the companies and societies of men they vvill dwell alone vpon the earth leaue the inheritance of the worlde to their babes after them And as they vvere happy common-weales heretofore wherein these speaches Mine Thine were least heard so are we falleÌ„ into these vnhappy and vnrighteous daies wherein there is small care taken what communities bee overthrowne and dispersed so all may acrue to a fewe Lordes Socrates carried Alcibiades bragging of his landes to a map of the world and bade him demonstrate where his land lay He could not espie it for Athens it selfe was but a smal thing I will not deale so sparinglie with you ye rich men of this world for the Apostle distinguisheth you to shew that there are both riches and a worlde to come I will tell you where your lande lieth and vvhat is truely mine and thine and belonging to every man So much measure of ground to the length and breadth of your bodies as maie serue to burie them in or so manie handfulles of dust as your bodies goe into after their consumption This is terra mea terra sua terra vestra my earth and his earth and your earth more than this we connot claime Therefore as the son of Sirach asked the prowd Quid superbis terra câ—â—is so I the covetous quid concupiscis terra cinis VVhy doest thou covet earth and ashes vvhen if it vvere possible for thee to possesse as much grounde as ever the devill shewed vnto the sonne of GOD from that high mountaine yet in the ende thou shalt be driven from all this as the people of Canaan vvere driven from that lande vvhich they thought their everlasting inheritance and thou must betake thy selfe to thine ovvne earth to that little quantitie and rod of grouÌ„d which nature hath proportioned unto thee Ecce vix totam Hercules Implevit vruam Behold great and victorious Hercules the subduer of the monsters of the world when he was dead and his bodie resolved into ashes scarselie filled an earthen pitcher Amongst other thy purchases forget not to buy a field as AbrahaÌ„ did to bury thy dead in a potters field such as they had at Ierusalem bought with the price of bloude vvherein thy bones and the bones of thy sonnes and nephewes may be bestowed· Now the thoughtes of man are endlesse Aboue all things man hath an vnfaithfull hearte saieth the Prophet as deepe as the sea vvho can finde it out I leaue it to the searcher of all hartes to examine The ambitious hath his thoughtes as lardge as hell such as Pyrrhus had from Macedon to Greece from Greece to Italy c. The voluptuous his thoughtes let vs eate and drinke Better is a living dogge than a dead lion The malicious his thoughtes vvho vvill giue mee of his flesh to eate The covetous his thoughtes soule take thy rest to daie or to morrovve wee will goe into such a cittie and there continue a yeare and buy and sel and gaine Such are the purposes and supposals of men minding earthlie things But the Lord knoweth the thoughts of meÌ„ that they are but vanity I would they were not grosse impiety And they imagine such counsailes as they are not able to bring to passe for their thoughts perish Plus proficitur cum in rem praesentem venitur there is more good done by one example than by manie preceptes Perhaps I haue told you a tale as to men a sleepe and novve I haue done you aske me vvhat is the matter This is the matter if there vvere none other explication the present spectacle before your eies is the example of this precept the life of this letter this precept the sentence or moral of this spectacle For if you will aske me of the person proposed to your view what he was surely he was a Prince a great state of the land and I maie saie of him as David said of Abner hoaâ—e princeps cecidit in Israele this daie is there a chiefe man fallen in England If you demauÌ„d further what he was by generatioÌ„ I auÌ„swer one of the sonnes of men If what by impotencie and imperfection vnable to helpe either himselfe or others there is no salvatioÌ„ in him If whither he were mortall or no yea for his spirit is departed from him If what becommeth of his body you see we haue brought it to the earth and thither 〈◊〉 must returne If what of his minde his thoughtes are also gone Lastly if you wil know the vse take an advise and counsaile out of all these put not your trust in him nor in anie the like fraile mutable creatures Blessed is the man whose helpe is in the Lord Non â—lle homo aut ille homo non ille angelus aut ille angeâ—u not this man or that man not this Angell nor that Angell but the God of Iacob the Lorde of hostes vvhich made heaven earth the sea and all that therein is and keepeth his promise for ever He that not long since was a glorious tree amongst vs like the Cedar of Libanus his boughes were a shadow to these North partes hath had the message of the Lord by his angell accomplished vpon him hew downe the tree and there is but a stumpe left a remnant of that substance now to be hid and buried in the earth till the daie-spring froÌ„ an high the light of Gods couÌ„tenance shal againe visite it Do you doubt of the fal of Princes handle see his body that here lieth examine his nostrels if there be any breath in them his eies if they haue any sight his cheeks if any colour his veines if any warme bloud and then beleeue as the Samaritans did not because of my word but because your selues are witnesses vnto it And as his body in life hath giveÌ„ you many an instructioÌ„ so let his dead breathlesse corpse adde one more vnto you of coÌ„moÌ„ vnevitable mortalitie It hath bin the maÌ„ner of auÌ„cient times to coÌ„meÌ„d their dead rather to testifie their good affection bemoane their losse to hold out the lampe of their vertuous liues to others left aliue than to gratifie the deceased Thus David commended Saul and Abner Elizaeus Elias the Apostles those Sainctes whome the worlde was not worthy of Nazianzen Basil making his followers in comparison with him for his excellent parts no more than an Eccho to the true voice Thus Bernard lamented Malachy complayning that his very bovvells were pulled from him and he could not but feele the wounde Our
favour and partiality to the religion established no place lefte to dissemble with God or man Tanti meriti tanti pectoris tāti oris tantae virtutis episcopu as Augustine spake of Cypriā so worthy so wise so well spoken so vertuous so learned a Byshope gaue such counsaile vnto them 3. To all the members of the Church of England vnity of soule and heart to embrace the doctrine authorized And lastly to himselfe peace and rest in the assured mercies of God This peace he hath plentifull fruition of vvith the God of peace For though he seemeth in the eies of the foolish to be dead yet is he in peace And like a true Hebrew he hath eaten his last passeover amongst vs and it is past from death to life where with vnspeakable ioy of heart he recompteth betweene himselfe and his soule Sicut audivimus sic et vidimus As I haue heard so now haue I seeene and felt in the citty of our God and with the blessed Angells of heaven and all the congregation of first borne singeth the songue of Moses a songue of victory and thanksgiving rendring all blessing honour glory power to him that sitteth vpon the throne and the Lambe that was killed and that vndefiled Spirit which proceedeth from them both by whome hee was sealed vp at his death to his everlasting redemption A SERMON PREACHED IN YORKE THE SEVENTEENTH DAY OF NOVEMBER IN THE YEARE OF our Lorde 1595. being the Queenes day Printed at Oxford by Ioseph Barnes 1599. 2. King 23 25. Like vnto him was there no king before him that turned to the Lord with all his heart and with all his soule c. THE remembrance of Iosias is like the perfume that is made by the arte of the Apothecarie it is svveete as hony in all mouthes and as musicke at a banquet of vvine he behaued himselfe vprightly in the reformation of the people and tooke away all abominations of iniquitie hee directed his hearte vnto the Lorde and in the time of the vngodlie hee established religion vvhich to haue done in a better season the zeale of the people and favour of the time advauntaging him had beene lesse praise The lande vvas sowen with none other seede saue idolatrie and iniquitie vvhen he came vnto it For by that vvhich is written of him we may know what he reformed All idolatrous both Priestes and monuments whether Chemarims or blacke friars Priestes of Baal of the sun moone or planets though founded and authorized by both ancient and late kings before him namely in these recordes by Salomon Ahaz Manasses Ieroboam togither with their high places or valleyes their groues altars vesselles vvheresoever hee found them either in Ierusalem or Iudah in Samaria or Bethel in the temple or in the courtes of the temple vpon the gates or in the kings chambers not sparing the bones of the Priestes either living or deade but raking them out of their graues besides the impure Sodomites and their houses sooth-sayers and men of familiar spirites he destroyed defiled cut downe burnt to ashes bet to powder threwe into the brooke and left no signe of them Hee followed both a good rule and a good example His rule is here specified according to all the law of Moses his example in the chapter before hee did vprightly in the sight of the Lord an◠walked in all the waies of David his father and bowed neither to the right hande nor to the lefte Hee was prophecied of three hundred yeares vpward before his birth a rare singular honour that both his name should be memorable after his death as heere we finde it and written in the booke of GOD before ever his partes were fashioned His actes are exactelye set downe in this and the former Chapters and in the second of Chronicles and foure and thirteeth vpon the recital wherof is this speach brought in by waie of an Epiphoneme or acclamation advancing Iosias aboue all other kings and setting his head amongst the stars of God The testimonie is very ample which is here given vnto him that for the space almost of fiue hundred yeares from the first erection of the kingdome to the captivity of Babylon vnder the government of 40. kings of Iudah and Israell there was not one found who either gaue or tooke the like example of perfection In the catalogue of which kings though there were some not many vertuous and religious David Salomon Asa Iehosaphat Iehu Ioash Amasia Iothan Hezekias yet they haue all their staines their names are not mentioned without some touch The wisdome honor riches happines of Salomon every way were so great that the Queene of Saba worthily pronounced of him Blessed be the Lord thy God which loved thee c. Will you know his blemish but Salomon loved many out-landish women and they broughte him to the loue of many out-landish Gods so he is noted both for his corporall spiritual whordomes Asa the son of Abiam did right in the eies of the Lord as did David his father 1. King 15. his heart was vpright with the Lord all his daies he put downe Maachah his mother for idolatrie The bitter hearbe that marreth al this is but he put not downe the high places Iehosaphat did well hee walked in all the waies of Asa his father declined not ther-from but did that which was right in the eies of the Lord 1. Kin. 22. neverthelesse the high places were not taken away Iehu did well God gaue him this testimony 2. King 10. because thou haste diligently executed that which was right in mine eies therefore shall thy sonnes vnto the fourth generation sit on the seate of Israell but Iehu regarded not to vvalke in the vvaies of the Lorde God of Israell vvith all his heart Amafiah did well he did vprightlie in the sight of the Lord 2. King 14. yet not like David his father David himselfe so much renowned as the principall patterne of that royall line to be imitated by them yet hath a scarre vpon his memory hee did that which was right in the sight of the Lord and turned from nothinge that hee commaunded him all the daies of his life 1. King 15. thus farre good saue onelie in the matter of Vriah the Hittire Onelie Iosias is without spotte or vvrinckle like vnto him was there no king And as in the number of bad kinges Rehoboam did ill Ieroboam worse for hee sinned and made Israell to sinne but Omri vvorse than all that went before him 1. King 16. yet Ahab worse than all before him in the same place so in the number of the good though Salomon did wel Iehosaphat perhaps better David best of al yet Iosias is beyonde the vvhole companie vvhich either went before or came after him Like vnto him was there no king It had beene a great praise to Iosias to haue had none better than himselfe to haue matched the vertues and godlines of his progenitours
Hilkiah what should be done 2. the booke of the law is presented vnto him he commauÌ„deth both the priests princes to enquire of Huldah the prophetesse about it he weepeth reÌ„deth his cloathes as the principall person whoÌ„ that daÌ„ger care doth principally coÌ„cerne 3. he assembleth all the people both in Iudah IerusaleÌ„ the Chronicles adde Ierusalem Beniamin al the couÌ„tries that pertained to the childreÌ„ of Israel throughout his whole dominion both small great elders priests prophets levites both laity Clergy 4. he readeth the law in the house of the Lord 5. he maketh a covenaÌ„t himselfe 6. taketh a covenaÌ„t of the people to keep it 7. he causeth al to staÌ„d vnto it 2. Ch. 34. coÌ„pelleth al in Israel to serue the Lord 8. he ordaineth holdeth a passeover the like wherof was never seene since the daie of the Iudges nor in al the daies of the Kings of Israel the kings of Iudah he apointeth the priests to their chardges 2. Chr. 35. chaÌ„dgeth the office of the levites that they should not beare the arke any more so the priests stood in their places also the levites in their orders iuxta regis imperium according to the coÌ„mauÌ„demnt of the king 9. in the purdging of Idolatry removing those swarmes of idolatrous priests with al their abominable service he coÌ„maundeth Hilkith the high priest the priests of the secoÌ„d order to do thus or thus Meane while the levite the priest the prophet are not wronged by the king in their callings The king doth the office of a king in commaunding and they their offices in administring Hee readeth the booke of the covenant doubtlesse in person and in the house of the Lorde but he standeth not on a pulpit of wood made for preaching to giue the sense of the law and to cause the people to vnderstand it for that beloÌ„geth to Ezra the Priest to the Levites Neh. 8. Again he causeth a passeover to be helde but he neither killeth the passeover nor prepareth the people nor sprinckleth the bloud nor fleaeth the breast nor offereth burnt offerings for all this he leaveth to the sonnes of Aaron yet is nothing done but iuxta praeceptum regis Iosiae according to the commauÌ„dement of king Iosias Moreover the booke of the Lorde was his counsailour and instructour in all this reformation For so is the wil of God Deuteronomie the seventeenth that a booke of the law shoulde be written to lie by the king to reade therein all the daies of his life that he might learne to feare the Lord his God and to keepe all his lawes And in a matter of scruple he sendeth to Huldah the prophetesse to be resolved by her and she doth the part of a prophetesse though to her king liege Lord tell the man that sent you vnto me thus saith the Lord beholde I will bring evill vpon this place 2. King 22. By this it is easie to define if the spirit of peace be not quite gone from vs a question vnnecessary to be moved dangerous and costlie to Christendome the triall whereof hath not lien in the endes of mens tongues but in the pointes of swordes and happy were these Westerne partes of the world if so much bloud already effused so many Emperours Kings Princes defeated deprived their liues by poison by treason and other vndutifull meanes vnder-mined their state deturbed overthrowen might yet haue purchased an ende thereof but the question still standeth and threatneth more tragedies to the earth Whither the king may vse his authority in ecclesiastical causes persons Who doubteth it that hath an eare to heare the doings of Iosias He is the first in all this busines his art facultie professioÌ„ authority immediate next vnto God held froÌ„ him in capite not derived froÌ„ beneath is architectonicall supreme Queene coÌ„mauÌ„der of al other functions vocations not reaching so far as to decree against the decrees of God to make lawes coÌ„trary to his law to erect sacraments or service fighting with his orders nor to â—surpe priestly propheticall offices nor to stop the mouthes of prophets and to say vnto them prophecy not right thinges but having the booke of the law to direct him himselfe to direct others by that rule and as the Priestes instruct the prophets admonish him in his place so himselfe to apoint and commaund them in their doings VVhat should I trouble you Iosias as their Lord maister and king 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 assembleth commaundeth causeth compelleth buildeth pulleth downe planteth rooteth vp killeth burneth destroyeth VVhat doth Hilkiah in all this but obey though higher than al the priests because he was the high priest yet lower than Iâ—sias Or vvhat doeth Huldah the prophetesse but pronounce the worde of the Lorde her person possessions family liberty life all that shee had being otherwise at the kings commaundement So let Samuel tell Saul of his faultes Nathan tell David of his Ahia Ieroboam Elias Micheas Ahab Elizeus Iehoram Ieremie Zedekias Iohn Baptist Herod Ambrose Theodosius and al Christian Bishops and priests their princes offendours The state of the questioÌ„ me seemeth is very significantly laid down in that speach of Constantine the Emperour to his Bishoppes you are Bishoppes within the church and I a Bishoppe without the church They in the proper and internall offices of the worde sacramentes ecclesiastical censures he for outward authority and presidence they as over seers of the flocke of Christ he an over-seer of over-seers they as pastours and fathers he as a maister and Lord to commaund their service they rulers and superiours in their kinde but it is rather in the Lord than that they are Lordes over Gods inheritance and their rule is limited to the soule not to the body and consisteth in preaching the vvorde not in bearing the sword but he the most excellent having more to doe than any man Lastly to them is due obedience and submission rather offered by their chardges than enforced to the other a subiection compelling ordering the people whither they will or no. I will drawe the substance of mine intended speach to these tvvo heads 1. That the greatest honour and happinesse to kings is to vphold religion 2. That the greatest dishonour and harme to religion is to pull downe kings The former I need not stand to prooue they are happy realmes in the middest whereof standeth not the capitol but the temple of the Lord. If this lie wast vnfurnished vnregarded and men be willing to cry the time is not yet come that the house of the Lorde shoulde bee builte or beautified the plagues that ensue are without nuÌ„ber heaven shal giue no dew earth no fruite drought shal be vpon mountaines valleyes much shall be sowne little brought in and that little shall bee blowne vpon and brought to nothinge But vvhere the prophecie is fulfilled kings shall bee thy nursing
who from Iulianus turned his name to Iulius that hee might somewhat match himselfe with Iulius Caesar was wont to say It is a base thing that the Levites shoulde serue and bee in subiection vvho rather are meete to governe other men Erasmus being at Bonony in his time thus writeth to his friende At this present studies are very colde in Italie warres verie hote Iulius the highest Bishoppe fighteth vanquisheth triumpheth and playeth the part of Iulius indeede VVorthy of immortall fame saith the authour of the history if hee had beene the Emperour rather than the Pope of Rome To conclude I will but adde what Petrarch an Italian and countrie-man of their ovvne and one vvhome Innocentius woulde faine haue had to haue beene his secretarie writeth of the Pope by waie of dialogue Pope I holde the towre or sway the honour of the highest prelacie Petrarke The first were wont to bee taken from this estate to Martyrdome novve they thinke they are called to pleasure therefore they striue so much for the place Pope I am the Pope of Rome Petr. Thou art called the servaunt of servauntes take heede thou make not thy selfe the Lorde of Lordes remember thy profession remember thy debt remember thy Lorde vvho iustlie is angrie vvith none more than vvith his Vicar or deputie VVith manie other free and friendlie exhortations of the like force Nowe if their spirites bee so mightie and vntamed let them exercise them at home with mutuall insidiations contentions depositions murtheringes poysonings and other vnpriestly and violent supplantations amongst themselues And if ever that iudgement vvere true vvhich Petrarch gaue that the life of men is shorte of kinges shorter of Popes shortest of all let it bee true still yea let all Babylon fall and let the seate of Antichrist be razed to the grounde but God for his owne glorie and for his gospel and Churches sake establish the thrones strengthen the handes lengthen the daies preserue the liues honour the faces of all religious and vertuous Princes Because my texte standeth wholie in comparison betwixte Iosias and other kinges giue mee leaue I beseech you in few wordes for the advauncement of Gods blessed name whose goodnesse we are highly bounde to acknowledge a testimonie of mine owne dutifull hearte and a further animation to you my brethren and the children of this lande to continue your obedience and faith to make some little comparison betwixte good king Iosias and gracious Queene Elizabeth 1. They both interpret their names in rendring and expressing by action the force thereof Iosias of the fire of the Lorde with whose zeale he was enflamed Elizabeth of his rest both because shee reposeth her selfe in his strength and for that the quiet tranquillity of this Land was by her happy governement restored 2. Iosias was prophecied of long before his birth 1. Kings 13. O altar altar c. Beholde a childe shal be borne to the house of David Iosias by name and vpon thee shall hee offer the priestes of the high places c. and vndoubtedly they presaged much of the abolishinge of altars and priestes vnder the raigne of Queene Elizabeth vvho laboured to prevent her government by such manifold practises 3. Iosias at the age of 16. yeares sought the God of his father David I never red or heard to the contrarie but that the child-hoode and prime of our soveraigne Lady and that glorious blossome her brother of blessed memorie were dedicated to true religion 4. Iosias forsaketh the idolatry of Amon and Manasses that went next before him and returneth backe to the faith of David Elizabeth declineth the path which her sister Mary had troden the foote-steppes whereof were yet very fresh and reneweth the waies of her father and brother almost worne out 5. Iosias had a good priest a good prophet a good chauncellour a good nobility faithfull vvorkemen The king commaunded that no accompte shoulde bee taken of them for they did their worke faithfullie It had not beene possible to haue repaired the ruines of defaced religion within this land without the advise and assistaunce of as faithfull a Counsaile and as zealous Priests of which though many were cast out for a time from their natiue countrey into Germany and other forreigne partes as a distempered stomake cannot endure to keepe holesome meates in it yet they vvere brought home againe with honour as banished Ieptha was and deservedly preferred to the highest dignities of our Church Such Nobles and priests as shee then had the Lord for ever blesse her vvith least it bee saide of this kingdome as sometimes of the Court of Maximilian An hundreth haue to deale in the affaires of the common vvealth but skarsely fiue or but eight at the most helpe them forwardes all the rest are hinderers 6. Iosias pulled downe altars priestes groues high places houses of Sodomites Queene Elizabeth left neither colledge nor cloister nor any other cage of Idolatrous birdes and neither Monke nor Frier to feede her people with errours 7. Iosias found restored the booke of the lawe hidden in obscurity Queene Elizabeth delivered from darkenes and banishmente the testamentes of her God not onelie hidden and buried in an vnknowne tongue but in corners and holes laide vppe and forbidden the light of heaven restoring both the letter of the booke to a vulgar language her people to freedome of conscience who might not read before but privily anâ— by stealth as men eat stollen breade Finally Iosias vvas directed in alâ—â—is waies by the booke of the lawe and no other starre guided the heart of our gracious Esther Iosias caused the booke of the lawe to bee openly red shee the everlasting gospell to bee preached throughout all her realmes and dominions Iosias maketh a covenant himselfe and taketh a covenant of his people to obserue it shee also bindeth her people by statutes and lawes to the true worshippe of God herselfe not second to any in rendring her vowes Iosias holdeth a famous passeover the like whereof from the daies of the iudges throughout all the daies of the kinges had never beene seene And her Maiesty hath purdged the sacraments of Christ reduced theÌ„ to their right forme vvhich I saie not from the time of the Conquerour but almost since the daies of the Apostles they vvere never happie enough to obtaine And as Iosias turned to the Lorde with all his hearte c. So whither her beautifull feete haue not taken a contrary course to that vvherein others had walked before her turned like the waters of Iordan vvhen Israell vvent over it not onely the people of this land but almost of whole Christendome swimming away apace in a full floud of Popish superstition and vvhither to the Lorde alone Angelles and Saintes omitted who in the consciences and opinions of men had set their seates by the seate of Almightie God said we will be like vnto him in worship and vvhither with all her hearte and vvith all her
soule and vvith all her mighte c. whom neither the curses of Popes nor the banding of the Princes of the earth crying a confederarcie a confedeacie against her nor practises vvithout her realme nor rebellions within nor the dissoialtie of male-contented subiectes nor trecherie vvithin her Courte and almost in her bosome did ever affright at least not shake from her first loue as they haue done other princes and cause to deale vnfaithfullye vvith the covenants of God let all the people of the earth so far as the fame of her constancy might be blowne vvitnesse with me Now there are also some differences heaping more honour and favour vpon the head of our Soveraigne Lady than befell Iosias For albeit Iosias began to raigne sooner yet shee hath longer continued And where Iosias raigned but 31. yeares shee hath accomplished the full number of 37. within few moneths of her fathers time And whereas Iosias but in the eighthy eare of his raigne began to seeke the God of his father David in the twelfth to purdge Ierusalem and in the eightenth to repare the house of the Lord this chosen handmaid of the most High â—ith the first beginning of her kingdome began to set vp the kingdome of God and so incontinently proceeded to a full reformation Lastly Iosias was slaine in battaile for not hearkening to the words of the Lorde out of the mouth of Necho the king of Egypt But long and long may it be before Her eies wax dimme in her head 〈◊〉 her naturall force bee abated And when shee is gathered to her fathers the burthen and woe whereof if the will of God bee fall vpon an other age let her goe to rest with greater tokens of his favour than ever to haue fallen into the hands of the king of Spaine or any the like enimy as Iosias fell into the handes of the king of Egypt But vvhen that daie shall come vvhich God hath decreed and nature his faithfull minister written downe in her booke iustly to obserue then to go backe againe to an other member of comparison as Iosias vvas mourned for by all Iudah and Ierusalem and Ieremy mourned for Iosias and all singing men and singing women mourned for Iosias in their lamentations to this daie and made the same lamentations an ordinance in Israell and they vvere also written in their lamentations and became a common worde amongest them for whensoever afterwardes there was taken vp any greate lamentation it was sampled and matched with that of Hadadrimmon in the fielde of Megiddo so looke for mourning from all the endes of our land complaining in the streetes of every cittie and crying in the chambers of every house alas for the day of the Lord it is come it is come then shall the kindred of the house of David and their vviues mourne aparte by themselues The kindred of the houses of Nathan and Levi and their wiues apart by themselues Then shal al the orders and companies of this Realme from the honorable counsailour to him that draweth water to the campe from the man of gray haires to the young childe that knovveth but the righte hand from the left plentifully water their cheekes and giue as iust an occasion of Chronicles and Proverbes to future times as the mourning for Iosias For to fold vp all other comparisons in one and to draw them home to my text not only betwixt her Iosias but other her noble progenitours and Lords of this Island Like vnto her was there no King or Queene before her And those that shall write heereafter in the generations to come shall bee able as iustly to supply the other part Neither arose there after her any that was like vnto her And I verily perswade my selfe that as the Lord was angry with Iudah and Ierusalem and threatned to bring evill vpon them yet differred to execute that iudgement in the daies of Iosias with promise of a peaceable buriall and that his eies shoulde not see that evill so he spareth our country for his anointed sake and reserveth his iust and determinate plagues against vs to the daies of some of her successours and vvhen he hath shut vp her eies in peace then will begin to open our iudgements I vvill not put you in feare with the fatall periode of kingdomes vvhich many both Philosophers and Divines more than imagine conceaving by reason that as in the bodies of men and other living creatures so these politicke bodies of Monarchies Empires kingdomes and other states there is a beginning and a strong age a declination and full point and by many experiments bearing themselues in hand that their alterations haue commonly fallen out not much over or vnder 500. yeares From the erecting of the kingdome of Israell vnder the hand of Saul to their going into Babylon they saie were foure hundreth and nineteene yeares The Consuls of Rome continued 462. the Monarchy flourished 454. Constantinople vvas the seate of the Roman Emperour 489. La Noue vvhen he wrote his military and politicke discourses observed the like number of time in their kingdome of France from the daies of Hugh Capetz The stay of the Saxons in England is esteemed there abouts And since the time of the Norman conquest the seventy and seven weeks of Daniell that is 70. times 7. yeares are fulfilled and God hath added therevnto as the fifteene yeares of Ezechias and as the surplusage of his loue onely the happy raigne of our liege Lady and Mistresse that now ruleth But as the Apostle spake in his Revelation Heere is wisedome If any man may haue wisedome enough let him accompte the number of kingdomes in this sorte For it may bee the number of God himselfe and hee hath reserved it to his owne knowledge But in open and simple tearmes I will shew you what the periods and stoppes of kingdomes are Propter peccata populi erunt multi principes For the sinnes of the people the prince shall often bee chandged and in likelyhoode the people it selfe for the same cause The Lord hath tied himselfe no farther to the kinges sonnes and seede after him than with this reasonable and dutifull condition if they shall keepe my testimonies And he often threatned his people if they provoked him vvith straunge Gods to provoke them againe vvith a strange people and to driue them out of the good lande vvhither hee sent them to dwell as hee had driven out others All those remooues and chandges that wee reade of in the booke of God and in other histories the emptying of the land of Canaan from her naturall inhabitantes deposing of one state and setting vp an other deviding the tribes raising kingdome against kingdome the vntimely deathes deprivations of princes the disinheriting and displacing of the eighte line leading into captivity from country to country as it were povvring from vessell to vessel sometimes no king at all sometimes many sometimes wicked sometimes a babe sometimes a stranger
of a fierce countenance and vnknowne language all the commoâ—ions and perturbations of kingdomes invasions of kings one vpon the others dominions rebellions of subiectes and so much of Christendome at this day buried in the very bowels of Turcisme and infidelity yea the extirpation of the Iews and planting of the Gentiles vpon their stocke and hereafter the casting out of the Gentiles and filling of the Iewes againe they are al rightly and orderly derived from the former cause For the sins of the people the princes the people themselues the government the policy the religion the peace the plenty of the land shal often be chandged We haue long and faithfully preached against your sinnes the dissolvers you see of kingdomes common weales that if it were possible we might bring them also to their periode and set some number and end of them VVill you not be made cleane when shall it once be But if our preachings cannot mooue you he that in times past at sundry times and in sundry manners spake vnto our fathers hath also sundry voices and sundry kindes of preachers to speake vnto you You heare that the chandge of a Prince is one of his Preachers It shall preach more sorrow vnto you more wringing of your hands rending of your harts than ever erst you were acquainted with Remember the vision that Michaeas saw all Israell scattered like sheepe because their king was taken from them and thinke how wofull a day it will bee when this faithfull shepheard of ours which hath fed her Iacob with a true heart Formosi pecoris Custos formâ—sior ipsa an happy Queene of an happy people the Lord yet saving both her vs with the healthfull power of his right hand shall be pulled from vs. Wee haue hitherto lived in peace equall to that in the daies of Augustus such as our fathers never sawe the like and vvhen wee shall tell our childrens children to come thereof they will not beleeue it VVe haue sitten at ease vnder the shaddowe of our vines nay vnder the shaddow of this vine wee haue shaded solaced our selues and lived by her sweetnes But it may fall out that as when the Emperour Pertinax was dead they cried with redoubled showtes into the aire till they were able to cry no longer while Pertinax lived and governed wee lived in safety and feared no man so wee may send our late and helpelesse complaintes into heaven O well were wee in the daies of Queene Elizabeth when perfite peace was the walles of our country and the malice of the enemy prevailed not against vs. The sword of a forrein foe bandes and captivitye is an other of his preachers Will you not feele the warnings of Gods wrath till the yron haue entred into your soules and drawne bloud after it you knovv vvho it is that hangeth over your heades of vvhome and other princes I may say as they said in Athens of Demades and Demosthenes their oratours Demosthenes is meete for Athens iustly assised and fitted to the city Demades over-great so vvhen other kinges holde themselues contended vvith their kingdomes he is too greate for Spaine and many other kingdomes and Dukedomes cannot suffice him but he yet devoureth in hope all the dominions of Christendome and drinketh downe with vnsatiable thirst the conceipt of a Monarch and for this cause there is a busye spirite gone forth in the mouthes of all his Prophets Vnus Deus vnus Papa vnus rex Christianismi Magnus rex Catholicus vniversalis There is but one God one Poâ—e one King of Christendome the greate and Catholicke and vniversall Kinge Hee hath once already buckled his harnesse vnto him with ioye and assured presumption of victory But they that pulled it of by out-stretched arme of one more mighty than himselfe more reioyced God graunt that they bee not found in England vvho haue saide vpon that happye and miraculous event in discomfiting his forces vvee vvill trust in our bovves and our svvordes and speares shall heereafter deliver vs. There touching of late in Cornevvale the vtmost skirt of our lande no doubt vvas some little vvarning from God But it vvas no more vnto vs than if the skirt of our cloake had beene cutte avvay as it vvas to Saule vvee say our skinne is not yet rased The commotion in Irelande thoughe a quicker and more sensible admonition is but a dagger held to our side and till the pointe thereof sticke in our heart till there bee firing of our tovvnes ransackinge of our houses dashinge of our infants against the stones in the streetes vvee vvill not regarde O cease to incense the iealous God of heaven Turne not his grace and mercie into wantonnes Let not his strength bee an occasion vnto you to make you vainely confident nor his peace licenciouslye secure nor the abundance of his goodnesse abundant and intolerable in transgressing his lawes And if there were no other reason to make you tremble before his face yet do it for your owne politicke good because you are threatned by a deadly enimy vvho accompteth himselfe the cedar and vs but the thistle in Libanon and whose povver is not contemptible though God hath often cast him downe Neveuiant Romani auferant regnum à nobis at least that the Romanes and Spaniardes for they are brethren in this case come not vpon vs by the righteous sufferaunce of our God and take away our kingdome Surely our sinnes call for a skourdge and they shall receaue one For they even whip and torment the patience of God The arrowes of death are prepared against vs and they shall shine with our gall if with humble repentance we prevent them not Our pride calleth for humiliation shee is ascended on high and asketh who shall fetch me downe yet I haue red of those whose wimples and calles and perewigges haue beene turned into nakednes and baldnes and they haue run too and fro smiting their breastes and tearing the haire of their heades suffering it to be blowne about their eares with the wind and not regarding to bind it vp so much as with an haire-lace Our clocks are not vvell kept nor our chimneyes good which I haue heard to be two signes of a well ordered common wealth that is our hours are mispent our callings not followed and the breathing of the chimneies is choked vp hospitalitie and reliefe to the poore almost banished The poorer haue had their plagues already skarsitie of bread within these few yeares often renewed Their teeth haue beene cleanâ— and white through want of food when yours haue beene furred with excesse of meats and drinkes But rich men gentlemen looke also for your draught in the cup of the Lord either some mortal sickenes to your bodies to eate vp your flesh as you haue eaten others and then whose shall these thinges bee which with so much sweat of your browes carefulnes of heart wracke of conscience breach of charitie wrong to humane
societies you haue laid togither â—or some barbarous and vnmercifull souldior to lay open your hedges reape your fields rifle your coffers levell your houses with the ground and empty you and yours out of all your possessions as you haue emptied your poore neighbours Your mercilesse mony exactions you the infamous vsurers of the North of England you the Iewes Iudases of our land that would sell Christ for mony if hee were amongst you you the engrossers of graine in this time of death and withall the engrossers of your owne woes on whom the curse of the poore lighteth ratified in heaven for not bringing forth your corne you that adde affliction to affliction and strengthen the hand of penury amongst vs vse the talents of the Lord not your owne pounds to the honourable advauntage of your maister and the durable gaine of your soules least ye become the vsurers of his vengance and receiue the wages of your vnfaithfulnesse an hundreth-fold The land mourneth because of other and they shall mourne that cause her heavinesse ConteÌ„pt of God will take away our Gods of the earth atheisme anarchy confusion of all estates mingling of heade and foote will goe togither O pray for the peace of Ierusalem Pray for the peace of England Let praiers and supplications be made for all people especially for Christian kings most especiallie for our soveraigne Lady and Mistresse Let vs feare God and all the enemies of the world even the kingdome of darknes shall feare vs. Let not our sinnes reigne and our Queene shall long reigne over vs. Buy the length of her life with your silver and gold you that are rich in this world rich in this lande distribute to the poore scatter for Gods sake God that seeth from aboue will be mindfull of your good deedes and prolong her Maiesties daies Humble your selues in time you high-minded and high-lookt that her horne may be exalted and her roote flourish amongst vs yet manie yeares Traitours forbeare at length to plot your treasons which haue long bred never brought forth The Lord is king and his hand-maide is Queene bee the earth never so impatient Time-serving hypocrites lay downe your dissimulations How long will you halt betweene Rome and England Rebels forsake and resigne your vnlawfull armes Say not as those seditious did vvhat parte haue we in the sonne of David the sonne of David shall prevaile the daughter of King Henry prosper in all her waies vvhen your heades shall lie low enough and your swordes shall haue drunke their fill of your owne flesh Let it suffice you the vntamed broode of our lande to haue blotted your memories with none other censure than that which is written in the booke of God that a band of souldiours follovved Saul whose harts the Lorde had touched but they were wicked that cried howe shall he save vs And you my beloved brethren and the true children of England knit your soules and tongues togither as if you were one man say with a strong vnited cry a perfite heart that God may regard it from aboue O Lord preserue Queene Elizabeth And let AMEN even the faithfull witnes of heaven the worde truth of his father say Amen vnto it Even so Lord Iesu AmeÌ„ Amen harken to the praiers of they servants that goe not our from fained lippes let her ever be as neam vnto thee as the signet vpon thy finger as deare as the apple of thine eie as tender as thine owne bowels water her with theÌ„ deaw of heaven as the goodliest plant that ever our country bare hide her like a chosen shafte in the quiver of thy carefullest providence and giue her a long life ever for ever and ever Amen Vix totâ vitâ indices Senec. Oâ—erat discentem turba non instruit Jd. Eccles. Vlâ— Eccles. 1. Scribimus indocti doctique Pers. Poscimus indocti doctique Act. 17. Chap. 13. Soles acceptior esse sermo vivus quà m scriptus Bernard A mortuâ pelle ad hominem vivum recurre Gregor Laudare se vani vitu perare stulti Aristot. apud Valer. Max. Lib. 7. Ca. 2. Nihil egi sine Theseis Nihil nostrum omnia Iuvenal Cantic vlt. Quid sinâ— dicant qui possunt duÌ„modo quod dicunt probare valeaÌ„t August enchirid cap. 38. 1. Chro. 12. 1. Sam. 18. Vnus Cato mihi pro ceÌ„tum millibus Plato instar omnium Luke 5. Aul. Gell. noct Attic. 13.5 Revel 4. Revel 21. Proverb 8. Psal. 119. Math. 23. Verba innumerabilia vnum tantùm verbum omnia Hugo de arca Noe. Seneca Gregor 〈…〉 Gregor in moral Hieron The argumeÌ„t of the prophecie Psal. 145. Onmis latitudo scripturaâ—um Non tantùm auri massas tollunt veâ—ùm bracteolas parâ—as Chrys. hom 1. ad pop Antio Chap. 1. Praeco mittitur missus contemnit contemnens fugio fugiâ—â— dormis c. Jsidor lib. de patrib veâ— testamen The text And The word Psal. 119. Of the Lorde Luke 1. Came. Zach. 1. Nee verbum ab intentione quia veritas nec factum à verbo quia virtus est Bern. homil 4. super Missus est 2 Pet. 1. Rom. 11. 1 The commission 1. King 1â— Revel 2. Zach. 13. Revel 2. Rom. 10. Heb. 5. Esai 6. Actes 19. 1. King 22. 2 King â— Ier. 2â— Ier. 23. Ezech. 1â— Iud. 3. Actes 19. Zeph. 1. Zach. 13. 2. Sam. 20. Deut. 18. 2. Sam. 12. Revel 12. 2. The persoÌ„ charged 2 King 14. 1 King 17. Ier. 44. Esai 4â— Luke 4. 1. Sam. 19. Jn Moriae encomio Subtilitates plusquam Chrysippea et ultra-muÌ„danae Id. Loc. Theol. 12.5 Iob 5. 3 The matter of the commissioÌ„ Ier. 1. Ezech. 2. Genes 4. Nah. 3. Arise and goe Iob. 7. Gen. 47. Wisd. 15. Mat. 20. Vulgo dictuÌ„ precio ac pecuniis datis brachiae effracta sunt Zach. 1. 1 Thes. 5. Ezech. 38. Eccle. 33. Gen. 3. 2. Thes. 3. Ioh. 4. Gen. 2. Gen. 3â— Prou. 26. 1. Sam. 3. Prov. 24. To Niniveh Gualter in Ion. 2. King 19. Ar. Mont. 1. Reason Deut. 20. 2. Sam. 20. Luke 10 Homil 15. Nisi gehenna intentata esset omnes in gehennaÌ„ laberemur Non ergo minus quod semper dico dei provideÌ„tiam gehenna commendat quà m promissio regni Homil. 5. ad pop Antioch 2. Reason Zach. 8. Math. 1. Zach. 14. 3. Reason Esai 16. 4 Reason Math. 12. Math. 21. ConclusioÌ„ Luke 10. Act. 13. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Luc. 10. 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 〈◊〉 Act. 20. Psal. 68. That great city Chap. 1â— Anius vpoÌ„ Berosus Raph. Volâ—â—â—ter 6. Natur. hist 13. Ar. Mont. Iun. Trii Diodor. Siâ— Strabo Paulus de Palatio vpoÌ„ Ionas Two reasoÌ„s why Niniveh is so commenâ—ded Chap. 20. Affectum inquirit non factum exigit Ambros. de patriarch Chap. 2. Math. 12. Act. 12. Act. 21. 1. Pet. 4. 2. Pet. 1. Num. 1â— Esai 40. Chap. 3. Ibid. August 8. dâ— civi dei 23. Chap. 18. Vrbâ— aeterna Lament 2. Ibid. 4. Ierem.